A New Face Volume I
by XMimiSweetX
Summary: Takes place during Sly 1. Luna the rabbit grew up with Sly, Bentley, and Murray in Happy Camper, and now that she is fully-grown, she is ready to put her skills in languages and martial arts to use and assist her friends in recovering Sly's birthright.
1. Worry and Jealousy

**Hello everyone! Thanks for reading my debut story, "A New Face, Volume I." I'm new to , but I'm a veteran writer. This story adds my original character Luna Trix (she's a rabbit, guess who she references, and you receive a cookie), and just so you know, the main pairing is SlyXOC. Don't like, then leave now.**

**Genre(s): Romance, adventure, crime (obviously), drama, friendship, and family.**

**Pairings: Sly/Luna, one-sided- Sly/Carmelita**

**Rating: T, for violence and bad language**

**Summary: This story takes place during Sly I, the Thievius Raccoonus. Luna Trix, a rabbit and martial artist, grew up with Sly, Bentley, and Murray at the orphanage, and now that she is fully-grown, she is ready to avenge Sly's family and be there for them no matter what the cost.**

The Paris skyline was lit up from the full moon that hung in the star-dotted night sky and the lights of the many buildings that surrounded the Eiffel Tower. Skyscrapers towered over the beautiful city, and all was silent and still. There were no people, no cars, and no birds.

The only thing that could just barely be seen was a flash of motion, moving swiftly along the rooftops. Something glowed in the moonlight, something gold, and then the silence was broken with the sound of bricks hitting the ground.

After some proper light was given off from a window, the figure that moved along the wall was revealed to be Sly Cooper. An expert thief and raccoon (nature's ninja), Sly was en route to the police station for reasons unknown to all but him and his team.

His team included Bentley the turtle. Bentley was remarkable intelligent, although slow and often showed cowardice and paranoia to most situations, but he was very kind and just worried about his friends' safety. Bentley came up with all of the gadgets, their only way of communication being their Binocucoms that he had invented, and without him, they would be nothing. Bentley was the one that hacked into security, came up with clever ways to avoid guards, and escape routes when things got rough.

Now Murray was a different story. Murray was destructive, the opposite of careful, naïve, and well…not very intelligent. Not to mention, Murray (being a hippo), he was overweight. But Murray was solid muscle; he was a force all on his own and his brute strength had gotten them out of more than a few scrapes over the years. Murray took out all the guards, did all of the heavy lifting, and he was a chief mechanic and drove the team van.

Lastly, there was fiercely-loyal Luna. Luna was a floppy-eared brown rabbit, her brown fur being what most irritated her as a thief. She thought she'd be able to blend in so much easier if she had black fur, like Sly did. Luna was the martial arts and language expert. Luna never cared more for science or math (areas she was very weak in), and was much more fascinated by the Mixed Martial Arts fights she witnessed on TV. Both of her parents who died from illness had been historians, but Luna was more interested in languages. Now that she was in her 20s, Luna spoke several different languages and was trained in seven types of martial arts.

Though physically and mentally they had very little in common, but they did have some very important similirities. They had all been orphaned around the same age, though Luna and Murray were younger than Bentley and Sly by a year, and had grown up in the same orphanage. Combining their skills, they had started out with the "Cookie-Stealing-Plan" and had went further and further from there.

When they were all too old to stay in the orphanage anymore, they had posed for a picture, agreeing to stay together with absolutely no arguments or any other wishes or dreams to fullfill.

Once they reached full-adulthood (being able to legally drink alcohol), their reputations became global. Now they were wanted in several countries for various crimes with _many_ warrants for arrest.

But they all shared one dream, which is why Sly was now standing up top of the police station-something normally very unwise.

Bentley called to his friend out on the field through the Binocucom. "Sly! Come in!" He shouted. "Sly!" The "y" was very exergeratted and dragged out. "Do you read me?"

That dream was to recover the Thievius Raccoonus from the Fiendish Five, avenge Sly's family, and reclaim his birthright.

_How could he not?_ Luna thought to herself with a roll of her eyes. Luna didn't speak as often as they rest, only talking when she felt the need to, but with Bentley's borderline screaming how could anyone not hear him? She was right there in the van with Bentley, and Luna-being a rabbit-do not appreciate loud noises.

Sly seemed to agree with her. She heard him through her own deep-violet colored Binocucom, since they were all on the same frequency. "Yeah, I read you Bentley, loud and…very loud."

"Sorry," Bently apologized. She saw the side-glance he gave her; at least he realized that his shouting had aggrevated her senseitive ears. "I'm a bit nervous; trying to break into Police headquarters does that."

At least Bentley had grounds to be nervous; Luna had to agree, and it wasn't just the shared trait of paranoia between them. This was lethal territory; they were stepping on broken glass; one wrong move, and there would be a bloodbath.

However, Sly was prepared with a counterargument. From the way Luna heard it, he sounded just a bit annoyed. "Get over it Bentley, you're safe in the van! I'm the thief here; I've got to steal that file from Inspect Carmelita Fox."

Luna gave an inward growl. Luna's hatred towards the inspector was incomphrehensible, and outmatched the mere dislike Bentley and Murray had for her. Carmlelita worked for Interpol, and had been a threat to them since their early days. She was obsessed with capturing them, Sly in particular. Luna was not fond of Carmelita in the slightest; it wasn't even just her attempts at arresting them. Luna didn't appreciate Sly's constant flirting with her.

"Well, count on me to be your eyes and ears buddy." Bentley continued. "Got their security system totally scooped. To get inside, you're gonna have to go through that air vent."

"Alright," Sly responded. "I'm going in." Despite Sly's confident tone, Luna still worried, a cloud of paranoid hanging over her head. Sly was out in the field more often than any of them, and while most of the time Luna didn't worry about him-he could take care of himself-there were certain situations were Luna would just inwardly panic, not calming down until her "family" was safe in the van with her.

Luna's family had been very close when she was a child; they went out together during the weekends usually to museums (though Luna still found them boring unless they were about martial arts), Luna's mother cooked breakfast every morning, and both of her parents held her hands and walked her to the school bus every day during her year of preschool. They had never even left Luna with a babysitter; where ever they went, they took Luna with them.

Luna still thought of her parents often. But there was one question that still kept Luna awake long into the night; would they be proud of her now? In the few years they had together, Luna's parents taught her that thieves were bad people, and that policemen were good. However, with the way Luna's future had turned out, Luna was scared to know what her parents would say to her.

It was Murray's turn to talk. "And don't forget, you got me at the wheel Sly. All you gotta do is grab the file and get back to the van; we'll do the rest."

"Just keep that engine running Murray, I'll be down in no time." Hearing Sly hang up, Luna gave a sigh and returned to moniteering the streets for any signs of police or any threat whatsoever.

"I see you're feeling as good about this as I am." Bentley said to her, placing a hand on her shoulder to try and settle her nerves.

Luna nodded, running a hand through her shoulder-length light brown hair. "I just don't like this plan. At all." Luna's intiuation was nawing at the back of her mind. Perhaps it really was just her paranoia acting up against her again, but Luna simply couldn't shake the suspiscion that something was going to go wrong.

After hearing some smashing through her Binocucom, her thought of Sly successfully entering the building was confirmed by Bentley. "Nice job, you're in. Inspector Carmelita Fox's office is behind the red door." But after thinking for a moment and using deductive reasoning and logic, he said, "That door must be super-reinforced Sly. Maybe there's a way to get around it." What Luna had noticed was no matter what, as thieves, nothing could ever be easy. No matter how well-thought-out and logical Bentley's plans were, something would always go awry. And that never ended well.

"Sly," She began, still keeping a close eye on the streets, "Watch your step. Carmelita might've put some traps in her office." Luna would give her one thing; the Inspector wasn't stupid.

"Quit worrying Luna," Sly said, with his usual nonchalant-tone. Sly wondered why that girl worried about him so much; she had been with him for years, and she should've realized by now that he could take care of himself. Luna was a brilliant girl, that fact should've been obvious for her.

Knowing she probably rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see her, he reached the vault. He wished he could see the look on her face once she realized that her own office had been robbed. He gave a smirk. Carmelita was the person that made this fun. And it was nice to see Luna get jealous, as she usually kept most of her emotions (other than anger and worry) to herself. Sly was amused by all of the pictures of him-just him, and not the rest of the gang-tacked on her bulletin board and clippings of newspaper articles of their thefts on her desk. Carmelita really was obsessed with him. He didn't feel that good or bad about using Carmelita; he just wanted to make sure Luna cared about him.

Luna was always a bit antisocial, she was untrusting to strangers, and the only time she talked about her feelings was when she was angry or fearful of someone or something. She never talked about her other feelings. No one but Luna knew how she felt about Sly, or -_God forbid_-another guy. If Luna felt neglected or her feelings were hurt, she didn't tell anyone about it.

"Bentley," He said, before Luna could start on him again. "I'm at the vault."

"Way to go Sly. This must be where Inspector Carmelita Fox stashes all of her important files. I hacked into the police security mainframe and discovered this vault's security code." Leave it to Bentley to hack into the security. "Try dialing in nine, three, seven."

It did the trick. There sitting on the stand was a file with a star on it and a picture of him paper-clipped to it. He smirked and placed it in his red backpack. "See Luna, nothing to worry about."

"You're not out yet, Sly." Luna reminded him, but Murray already seemed ecstatic.

"Nice job, you got it! If you come down through the fire escape and head through the parking lot, we'll be waiting in the get-away van." He could already see Luna's defeated expression, that she had worried over nothing.

Leaving his blue and white calling card where the file had been, slipped onto the fire escape.

"Criminal!" That familiar voice echoed over the sky. Carmelita Montoya Fox jumped onto the chimney, her pistol ready for action. "You foolish raccoon! I've caught you red-handed."

"Shit." Luna muttered, wishing she had something to shoot at Carmelita for many reasons. She gave herself a mental note to obtain something for long-distance fighting. This wasn't the first time hand-to-hand combat had failed her.

"Ah, Carmelita," Oh, Jesus Christ, she didn't want to hear that. "I haven't seen you since I gave you the slip in Bombay." Now that was a satisfying memory. Luna recalled Carmelita throwing her pistol at one of her fellow officers and her screaming face as she violently cursed after missing them yet again. The next time she caught up with Carmelita, Luna would be sure to remind her how psychotic she looked.

"Which reminds me, you need to return the fire stone of India to its' rightful owners." It was too bad they already sold it to the man paying them a fortune to get it.

"Aw, and I was gonna give it to you as a little token of my…" Luna felt a bit of her heart hurt. God, she was jealous. "Hey, you know that bazooka really brings out the color of your eyes-very fetching." Flirty chit-chat really made her sick.

Sly was thrilled. He knew Luna could hear every word, and couldn't wait to see her angry, jealous face. She was lovely when she was angry. "You think?" Carmelita questioned. Unknown to Sly, she was actually flattered, taking him seriously. "This pistol packs a paralyzing punch. You should try it; it might snap you out of your crime spree." Please, Carmelita should've realized that with Luna and Murray right down there in the van, it'd be impossible to get him in jail all by herself.

"And give up our little rendezvous?"

Carmelita scoffed at him. "Plenty of time for that once you're safely behind bars." It was words like that that made Luna wonder how serious Carmelita was about hurting Sly.

"Love to stick around and chat, but I just dropped by to pick up this case file-I think you've had it long enough."

Hearing the zapping from Carmelita's shock pistol and various items coming down and smashing against each other, Luna threw the back doors to the van open, seeing Sly dodged the shots and leap over the poorly-parked cars. She reached out for his hand and pulled him, slamming the doors behind them and Murray took off, though not without taking out a garbage can.

Luna's heart finally settled down. Sly climbed into the front seat next to Murray and she got a high five from Bentley.

What surprised them all was how well Carmelita took Sly's escape. From the van, Luna saw a poster of their headshots with their names under them and "WANTED" in big bold letters above them.

Finally, they had the file they had been searching for all the years they had been together. With this, they could avenge Sly's family and reclaim his clan's most valued treasure.

Their shared story began when Sly was just a kid, bouncing on his father's knee. He came from a long line of master thieves who kept their secrets in an ancient book-the Thievius Raccoonus. Anyone who read it learned to be especially sneaky, which is why they specialized in stealing from criminals. To Sly, there was no honor, no challenge, no _fun_ in stealing from ordinary people. If you stole from a master criminal, then you know you're a master thief.

But on the night that he was supposed to inherit the book, five visitors came unannounced to his door. His father, Connor Cooper, fought to protect them but the gang known as the Fiendish Five overpowered and ransacked their home until they found the Thievius Raccoonus.

According to Sly, they tore the book into five pieces and then went to many different corners of the world to commit horrific crimes.

After a long and difficult process of Sly calling 911 and getting the police there and then going through the funeral process that cost most of his inheritance, seeing as how he had no other family, he ended up at the Happy Camper orphanage. There he met Bentley and Murray, and a few months later Luna, who had been overwhelmed by their kindness to her when she first lost her parents.

And this would prove to be the toughest test of their lives. All of their thefts and accomplishments, from stealing from mobsters and gang leaders and other criminals and robbing museums of their priceless artifacts to sell on the black market, led up to this. They would both succeed and fulfill their goal of taking down the Fiendish Five and stealing back Sly's birthright, or fail, and leaving Sly's ancestors and parents disappointed. Not only that, but if Sly didn't survive, then his family name would bite the dust.

**So, how did I do? Did I keep everyone in character? Leave reviews if you want to, but please, be respectful. That's really all I ask.**

**If you pay close attention to what you're reading, you'll realize that the chapter presents two different points of views on the same subject. Luna feels that something always goes wrong and that makes her worry, while when Carmelita shows up, Sly thinks nothing of it.**

**Until next time!**

** ~Mimi**


	2. Flashbacks and Feelings

**Hello everyone! This is Mimi, bringing you the next update. Thanks so much for reading! And a VERY special shout-out to Artemis' hunters, for being my first reviewer EVER! This chapter is for you! 3**

Driving to their hideout in Paris, Bentley sat at his desk at his computer and Murray munched happily at a bag of chips. The hideout was fairly small; a tiny bathroom, no bedrooms, and several world maps pinned to the wall. Sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows were all over the floor, along with dirty clothes. Luna plopped onto the bean bag chair. She looked towards one of the maps. Just above Africa, there was a red X near England. She assumed it was their next destination.

"Nice job back at Police Headquarters, Sly." Bentley began.

However, Luna still wasn't in the best mood from that "event." "Yes," She said sarcastically. "It was great, if you count _yet again_ nearly getting electrocuted by Bitch Fox."

Sly only gave a smirk, finding her dry sense of humor amusing. Bentley rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I've already plotted a route to our first target."

Luna looked up and gave a small smile as Murray cheered. "Road trip! I'll go prep the van." Luna stood up as collected her things-mainly her toothbrush and sleeping bag and pillow. Tucking everything into her sleeping bag, she rolled it up and went outside to place it with the others in the van. She held Bentley to move his laptop and charger and all of his other technical equipment in. As a band of thieves and forever on the run from the cops, they had to travel light and couldn't freely go out in public.

Taking her seat in the back with Bentley and Sly and Murray up in front, the engine roared and they started for England.

It wasn't that far away, but still a couple of days away. And during that time, they discussed Sir Raleigh the Frog.

Reading the file, they learned that Raleigh had been born into a wealthy family, and always had everything he wanted. But apparently, he got bored of it. Hell, they could relate; just having to ask for what you wanted and having it delivered to you on a silver platter and not working for it would get boring. As thieves, getting what they wanted was always a tremendous group effort.

On a whim, Raleigh tried at piracy, and found it to his liking. Afterwards, he became addicted to crime. He was brought into the Fiendish Five as chief machinist, where his tinkering genius rose to new heights. That was the most interesting part of profile; the frog seemed to be brilliant, and there were pictures of various machines. Bentley would have a field day with this. The last sighting of him was in the Welsh Triangle.

"Let me see that." She said, taking the file from Sly. Looking over Raleigh again, she knew right from the start how much she was going to hate this guy. Of course, she already held disdain for him; this was one of the men that helped to murder Sly's family.

No matter how much Luna wanted to argue with herself, no matter how much she kept telling herself, it was clear to Luna that she held strong feelings for Sly. Her jealousy towards Carmelita, her overprotectiveness of him, and her strong loyalty made it obvious to her, and with his intellect, probably to Bentley too.

Thinking back on her first day at the orphanage, Sly was the first friend she had ever made.

_Luna, just a little over five years old, walked into the orphanage, carrying only a small blue suitcase. The adult brown bear in a blue suit that had taken there spoke to the receptionist. She smiled sadly at Luna and directed her to the playroom to meet the other children. _

_ The room was painted a bright light blue with matching carpet, and there were plenty of toys and books and a TV playing Aladdin, but Luna didn't like it. There were so many people here; Luna didn't have any friends at her old school, she was too shy to talk to anyone, and when anyone tried to talk to her she just ignored them or tried to hide if she could._

_ She walked to the corner next to the book shelf and was pleased when she found a small book on Spanish. It was small and contained only basic phrases, but it was better than nothing. Sitting down quietly by herself, she buried her face in her book._

_ However, her peaceful reading was interrupted when someone stood over her. "Hi." She didn't know his name, and when she locked eyes with him, she was a bit too frightened to speak. "My name's Sly. You wanna play with us?" When she looked past him, she saw some awkward-looking turtle with glasses and a pink hippo were waving to her._

_ But meek little Luna simply hid back into her book. Luna didn't really want to talk to anyone; the pain of losing her parents, knowing she could never talk to them again or hold their hands or hug them ever again was still fresh. Luna just wanted to be by herself and allow her heart to heal. _

_ Unfortunately, Luna didn't realize how stubborn Sly was. He wasn't having any of that. Bentley had informed that she was recently orphaned, and remembering how it felt to be so alone in the world when he first came to Happy Camper Orphanage, he didn't want her to be alone. He wasn't giving up. "C'mon, play with us!" He asked (more like demanded) again._

_ Luna violently shook her head. She didn't want to play! _

_ "Uh, Sly, I don't think she really wants to hang with us." That was the turtle. He seemed shy, and spoke very shakily. _

_ "Yeah Sly, maybe we should leave her alone." With the way the hippo spoke to the raccoon, he seemed to be the leader. _

_ Sly shook his head. "No way!"_

_ The raccoon called Sly would prove in the following days that he wasn't going to give up on her._

Returning her attention back to the file, seeing as how this guy was a frog and she (being a rabbit) would have the equivalent of jumping skills, she decided she could take this guy. Another factor was that if he was as intelligent as the file claimed he was, then he was most likely physically inferior to her. Plus, she would have Sly with her every step of the way.

She handed the file back to Sly, who only smirked. Luna truly hadn't changed a bit-still stubborn and hard-headed, and just too shy.

_When bedtime finally came after during at seven, Sly wasn't that happy. That new girl hadn't talked to him; she had ignored him and didn't want to be with him, Bentley, or Murray. He didn't know her name, and his curiosity had really started to get to him. He wanted to know her name, but she seemed too shy to tell him and his pride wouldn't allow him to just go ask one of the adults. No, he had to find out from her._

_ The next day, he tried again. At breakfast, Bentley and Murray at their usual, but the new girl had seated herself alone in the corner. Confident in his success, he sat next to her and didn't leave. He kept asking for her name but she just ignored him. He tried again at lunch. Then at dinner. And this pattern repeated itself for days._

_ It was only after the second day when Bentley came to the conclusion that he liked her._

_ "I do not, I just think she needs a friend!" Sly protested against them._

_ "Admit it Sly; you're a sucker for blue eyes." Bentley said. He was reading something in big words Sly couldn't understand; figures, Bentley was already a lot smarter than the other children. He was capable of keeping up with the grown-ups!_

_ "Ha, her eyes are green!" Sly couldn't help but feel a bit victorious at telling Bentley that for once he had been wrong._

_ "Ha, thanks for proving my point." Bentley said with a smirk. Sly scowled at himself as Murray teased him._

_ "Sly and the new girl, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Sly had to tell him to shut up several times and threaten him with his father's cane before the hippo finally settled down._

_ After a week had passed, he sat down next to the unnamed rabbit one more time, this time determined to get the info he wanted. "What's your name? Please tell me! I just want to be your friend!"_

_ She shook her head wildly. It was kinda cute-wait, what was he thinking! He just wanted her name so they could be friends. And Bentley had mentioned that her jumping skills would come in handy. "Please! Please! Please! Please!" He kept begging and begging, and finally, the girl gave in._

_ Sly had finally worn her patience thin. "My name is Luna!" She said, a bit too loud as people were staring at her. She flushed and looked back at her food, embarrassed. Sly looked all too happy._

_ Finally! Victory was his! "Bentley, Murray," He shouted across the room, attracting attention to them again. "Her name is Luna!"_

That was the point of their lives where Luna opened up to them. Though Luna could laugh about it, she certainly couldn't then. When Bentley and Murray "discovered" her name, they introduced themselves. Slowly, but surely, Luna opened to them, mostly because of Sly's persistence.

"I've been thinking; I don't believe this Sir Raleigh will be much of a threat." Luna said.

Bentley nodded. "With both you and Sly out there on the field and Murray and I here in the van to help you guys out, it won't be that much of a challenge."

Sly couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of Bentley. He and Luna had similar thought processes, and did have a lot in common. They were sort of like yin and yang. Bentley was an expert in math and science and Luna was experienced in English and history. One could start a sentence, and the other could (and sometimes would) finish it. They had discussions that Sly couldn't understand and it made Sly envious that Luna had a bond like that with someone that wasn't him.

"Well, no matter we're gonna take this guy down." Sly said confidently. Luna nodded, determined to prove her loyalty to her family-that is, her friends-and help Sly avenge his parents.

"Yeah, we're gonna put the smack-down on that dude!" Murray yelled, getting a high-five from Sly.

The road trip was long and soon enough the team got bored. They made some stops along the way, just long enough to get out and stretch their legs. Luna certainly appreciated; her long rabbit legs needed exercise.

During the night, she turned to her journal she kept a secret from everyone else. Being male, they certainly wouldn't respect her privacy. After all, Sly certainly never respected her wishes all those years ago.

Taking it out of the compartment made from the loose floor after Murray had parked and they had all fallen asleep, she took the purple ink pen from the spiral. It was a simple journal, black and purple, and had her name written on the cover.

_Dear Diary,_

_We did it! We recovered Sly's file from Bitch Fox, and now we're on our way to take down Raleigh. I feel so excited, and I do feel happy. But I need to keep calm. After all, we're in a delicate business. One wrong move and we're in trouble. I don't really see my future going anywhere else. I think no matter what, I'll always be with these guys. They're family; I miss my parents very, very much, but Sly, Bentley, and Murray mean the world to me. As long as I have them, how bad can things be?_

_Today, I thought a lot about the orphanage. I miss it. It was home to me for so long. I wish I could see it just one more time, but they're all such good people, I'm sure they would turn us in. It makes me wonder what my parents would say if they could see me now. I'm a thief, and I'm always going to be a thief. But they told me that was wrong. Only now I don't think so. Maybe they were just black and white like Bitch Fox._

_ ~Luna_

Closing her diary and putting it back in its place, she crawled into her sleeping bag, resting her head on her pillow. She dreamed of her past and of the orphanage.

_"Hey Luna," Sly waved to her. "Bentley came up with an awesome idea to get cookies!" _

_ Luna titled her head to the side. She knew of Sly's sweet tooth, but after seeing the plan, wouldn't it just be better just to wait until snack time? They had it every day after all. But of course, one cookie a day wasn't enough for Sly._

_ They met after everyone else had gone to sleep; they hid in the playroom under a blanket with a flashlight as Bentley went over the plan. _

_ "First Luna, you need to jump up onto the counter, since it's too high for the rest of us and then help Sly up. I'll keep watch in case anyone comes by, while Luna and Sly push the cookie jar over to Murray so we can chow down!"_

_ "But won't we get in trouble?" Luna said quietly. She didn't want to get any Mrs. Smith's bad side. She was a very sweet and kind woman, and she was always telling Luna what a sweet and well-behaved child she was. Luna didn't want to disappoint her._

_ Sly patted her shoulder. "Only if we get caught. Don't worry Luna, we can do this!" _

_ Of course, Bentley's plan went awry. Instead of pushing the cookie jar over to Murray, they pushed it too far and it fell to the ground and shattered, alerting the staff including Mrs. Smith. They had received lectures, and Luna (feeling like a disappointment) started crying. Mrs. Smith and the other adults apologized but when Sly hugged her and apologized for getting her into the mess in the first place. Sly took the blame; he told the grown-ups that it was all his idea, not Bentley's or Luna's and that he should be the only one to get in trouble. Luna had never felt so touched and she could tell Bentley and Murray felt the same._

**So there's another chapter! Yeah, I know it's mostly filler, but I still like it. And writing everyone as children was adorable! Writing Sly was a little kid was my favorite part of the chapter. And even though it's a filler chapter, it still meets my requirement of being at least five pages long. **

**Until next time!**

** ~Mimi**

**P.S. Once again, this chapter is dedicated to Artemis' Hunters, my first reviewer and the reason this chapter is up so fast. C:**


	3. Hurt and Scared

**Hello everyone, this is XMimiBelleX or just Mimi. Here's the new chapter, up today just like I promised. C: So far, I think you can expect daily updates. We'll be on volume 2 before you know it.**

Sly and Luna were dropped off at a rocky and very destination. Luna looked around and winced. "There's water everywhere." They had to be careful, because neither of them could swim. What Luna really didn't appreciate was the fact that it was pouring down rain. At least the surrounding water could be avoided; Luna didn't like getting wet, it made her hair frizz out.

"C'mon baby doll, we've got frogs to fry." Sly said, taking the lead and Luna following him close behind.

Luna tried to hide her blush. "Sly, for the last time, don't call me baby doll. And I don't even like frogs." Luna would never understand the French costume of eating frog legs. To her, it was disgusting. That, and Luna was a vegetarian, and only ate fruits and vegetables.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." Looking at Sly, she could see that cocky smirk on his face. Sly had the irritating (and also a bit hurtful) habit of calling her nicknames. As if she was his girlfriend. He didn't feel about her that way, he shouldn't act like he did. It confused her and hurt her feelings just a bit. It felt like he was making fun of her.

Luna rolled her eyes and simply followed close behind him. Taking out a few guards that Luna believed to be overgrown gophers, she kept a sharp eye for anything suspicious. However, Bentley seemed to be doing that for her.

"Guys," Bentley called in from the Binocucom. "According to my Amphibio-Positioning System, that big blimp is where Raleigh is hiding out." Taking a better look through their Binocucoms, they saw the massive flying object, and confirmed that Raleigh was an intelligent man indeed.

After examining the blimp, Sly came to a conclusion. "You know, that blimp looks more like a machine than a hideout."

"You're right, Sly. It's a storm machine! That's why it never stops raining around here." Looking a bit to the right towards the water, they could several wrecks, and rotted wood washing up onto the shore.

"That explains all the wrecked ships." Sly muttered.

"But why would Raleigh want bad weather at his own hideout 24/7?" Realizing that Bentley had no idea why Raleigh would use a storm machine so frequently, Luna knew she would have to wait to find out.

"Beats me." Sly said. Sly was a lot more careless and confident than she was; Luna took all of her missions quite seriously, especially when in this situation. They were outnumbered, the guards had the advantage over terrain, and there was an intelligent frog who (once he became aware of their prescence) would surely want them dead. "But rain or shine, we're gonna steal my family's book back, and if Raleigh gets in our way…it's on."

Luna nodded. "I'm with you, Sly."

The rest of the trek was pretty simple. There was a guard with throwing stars that Sly distracted so Luna could take him out, and there were some rivers they had to cross and only naturally some ropes that needed to be climbed. Not to mention, both of them were completely soaked. Having to completely submerge their feet in a river did not help. Luna disliked Raleigh more and more by the minute.

They came to a gate with a hook. Sly turned to Luna. "Jump up on my back." When Luna looked at him puzzled, he said, "The gate's too high, even for you." He turned around and Luna awkwardly got onto his back and held onto him tight.

Sly just stood there for a moment, making it look like he was just trying to get his position right, but he just didn't want Luna to let go of him. He liked having her so close, her holding onto him so tightly. Too bad Luna was smart enough where she would realize that something was up if he took too long.

Latching his cane onto the hook above their heads, he swung them over the gate. After walking a few feet, they came to a series of water wheels that Luna could just jump over, but Sly had to wait until there was an opening for him to move.

At the end of the road, there was a blue key in a case and a locked gate. Luna turned to Sly, as him breaking the case open with his cane would hurt a lot less than her breaking it open with her foot. He nodded and a split second later, the key was theirs. He tossed it to Luna and she unlocked the gate.

They came to a tall ledge, and Luna hopped up and pulled Sly up to her. The new area was just as drenched and just as guarded as the last. Now that they were closer, they could take a better look at that blimp.

They got into contact with Bentley again. "That blimp looks like the most secured location on this boat. If Raleigh's really as smart as the file suggests, then that's where we'll find him." Sly said.

"Wonderful idea," Bentley had that sarcastic tone again. "But your plan is flawed."

"When is it not?" Luna responded with a dry remark.

Sly looked like she had wounded his pride a bit, but kept the serious look on his face. "Why?"

"Because it's impossible to get near him." The thing about Bentley was that he thought everything was impossible. Luna realized that with their teamwork and combined skills plus Bentley's brains and Murray's muscles, they could achieve a lot. Luna was paranoid, but not pessimistic, at least not as much as Bentley was. "To access Raleigh's blimp, you would have to sneak through that high-voltage power tube." Luna took a closer look at it. She didn't like it. "To do that without getting electrocuted, you'd have to destroy that power generator. And to do that, you need two more of Raleigh's treasure keys, which are heavily guarded."

"Interesting." Sly knew he and Luna could handle this. Luna was gifted at martial arts, and Sly had amazing thieving skills-not to mention, they were more than a match for those useless guards. So far, the operation was running smoothly. "So when are you going to get to the impossible part?" Sly thought Bentley should have more faith in them.

"Fine!" Bentley almost-snapped. "But I warned you. I've marked the areas you need to hit with holographic markers. Follow them to your objectives." Sly thanked him and Luna congratulated him on once again proving his genius. "Don't mention it-it's your funerals!"

"Bentley!" Luna snapped. That turtle really wasn't helping to calm her nerves. The turtle gave a swift apology. She sighed and her Binocucom went offline. She turned to her friend. "So Sly, how do you want to do this? There are two keys, and we'd get done a lot faster if we split up."

Sly nodded. "I'll go for the one on the left, you take the right. Call me if you need help." Luna nodded.

"Same to you." Luna took off for the key on the right.

Sly gave a smile. Luna really was always moving. Sly turned his attention to the left and ended up in the engine room. Listening to Bentley's directions, he took some guards out. Needless to say, Bentley was thrilled when he discovered Sly's location. "Eureka!" Really, who said that anymore? Bentley needed to update his vocabulary. "You're in the engine room! My analysis tells me that if you trace the spinning crankshaft all the way back to its source, you'll find Raleigh's treasure-and sabotage his machine while you're at it!"

"Got it-Hey Luna, how you holdin' up?"

"I'm doing fine, Sly. The guards around here suck."

"Atta girl." He said proudly. He disconnected from them so they could get back to work, and he made his way up. Jumping on and off massive pumps and

As Sly worked through the engine room, Luna moved onward in the furnace. She had to slam a lot of doors shut and take out a lot of guards. "Sly, watch your step, this guy's turned his machines into its' own security.

Sly responded with a nervous chuckle. "Really, because I've come close to being electrocuted."

Luna slammed a guard against the wall, taking his throwing stars and tossing them into the molten substance around her. "Do you need help? I'm almost done in here."

"Nope, I'm almost done too. You just keep doin' what you're doin'."

"Alright, I'll be done in a minute, see you back at the power generator."

Luna was thrilled to finally be done in there. She smashed the case open with a high kick and grabbed the key, tossing it into the side pocket on her backpack. She groaned. Now she just had to go all the way back from where she started.

Luna arrived at the power generator first. She waited for a few minutes, but Sly didn't show up. Perhaps it was just her worry making time go by slower where a minute felt like ten, but she waited and waited and there was no sign of her raccoon teammate. She brought her Binocucom online. "Sly, where are you?" No response. "Bentley, I think we have a situation. I can't get in contact with Sly."

"R-Really? Sly! Sly! Do you read me?" God, why the hell did he have to be so damn loud? But then again, this could be bad? What if something horrible had happened to him? What if he fell into some water and drowned? Or what if one of Raleigh's guards had gotten to him!

"Damn it Sly, if you can hear me, say something! This isn't funny!"

"Yeah Sly, stop messin' around." That was Murray; Luna could tell from his tone that he was really hoping that Sly was just messing with them. "This ain't cool, man!"

"Guys, I gotta go find him-I think he got hurt. Raleigh's guards must've gotten to him." She knew something like this would happen! She knew that no matter what, there was always a risk that one of them would get hurt, and it finally happened!

She turned around and was headed for the engine room, when she was somehow on her back with Sly on top of her. "Hi, gorgeous." He said, mischievously with a smirk as sly as his name on his face.

"S-Sly!" Luna shrieked. She felt all of the heat go to her face. Sly had never been in such close proximity with her before.

Wait.

Sly was suddenly thrown onto the ground, rubbing his ribcage from where she had kicked him. "Ouch, Luna, what did you do that for?" Luna, now covered in mud and beyond pissed off, she huffed and turned away from him. When she didn't say a word to him, Sly realized he had upset her. Luna didn't give him the silent treatment often.

Luna, hurt and upset yet at the same time relieved, headed back to the van. "He's _fine_." She snapped, seeing Bentley and Murray's shocked faces upon her sudden and unexpected return. Sly followed in close behind her. Luna went to the sink and washed the mud from her hair.

Sly realized that Luna probably wasn't happy about being thrown backwards into the mud. "Luna, hey, I'm sorry about the mud. We'll go wait outside so you can change." Sly wasn't sure what to do after she ignored him, but looking at his male teammates, they nodded and headed outside.

"Why's she so mad?" He asked.

Bentley sighed. "Sly, you really upset her this time. She thought something really bad had happened to you, and she got really worried."

"…Oh." Sly didn't mean to hurt her like that. He had wanted to scare her, but not like that. He didn't realize she'd be concerned about his safety; he just wanted to hear her shriek after being pounced on. But she cared. She really cared. And he hurt her badly this time. "So it's not about the mud?"

"…Well, I don't think she was too happy about the mud either. She may not be that feminine, but she is a girl."

"So how do I get her to stop being mad?"

"Apologize for scaring her like that. She'd appreciate it. Really Sly, you're such a dunce sometimes."

**That's the end people! By the way, is there anything you guys want to see? Leave a review or message me if you have any ideas or requests. I'm open to hear your suggestions.**

** Until next time!**

** ~Mimi**


	4. Apologies and Love

**I have returned! I'm bringing you the new chapter! Thanks for reading, chapter four!**

After changing, Luna returned outside and headed for the power generator. She then noticed that each lock was different, she would need Sly's second key. The raccoon came up from behind her and used his key, and just as Bentley said it would, the field went down.

"Astonishing!" Bentley cried out. Luna wished the goddamn turtle would learn to lower the volume. Her Binocucom was hooked up to her _ear_. There was no need to shout! "All my calculations led me to believe you would fail to knock out that generator!"

Sly chuckled. "Never was good at math." Sly was never good at anything intellectual.

"Well, here's a real test for you." Luna could already tell she was going to just love this.

Luna was already facing confliction. She was pissed and hurt that Sly had played such a nasty prank on her. She thought something awful had happened to him-that she'd lost him-when it was really just a joke. Now half of her-the side that was pissed off-wanted to be as far away from Sly as possible and keep that distance until he got down on his knees and begged for forgiveness, but the other part of her was hurt and still scared for his safety; that side wanted to go with him to make sure he stayed safe and protect him. But neither side really wanted to speak to him.

Ultimately, Luna's overprotectiveness won over her anger.

"I've found a way up to Raleigh's hide-out, but unfortunately, it is doomed to failure."

"You're not gonna tell us we need to shoot ourselves out of that canon?" What? She turned in the direction that Sly was looking in. How the hell had she managed to miss that? Oh wait, because it was dark, raining, and she was pissy, that's how. But wait, Bentley was smart. He had figured out another way to-

"I'm afraid that's the only way." Damn it.

"Now you're talking." Between messing with Luna-a martial arts expert-, trespassing on the land of a Fiendish Five member, and now wanting to shoot himself out of a canon, Sly was bound and determined to get himself killed.

"You're really scaring me, man." He wasn't the only one. "Anyway, to get inside that thing, you guys have to steal all seven of Raleigh's treasure keys."

"So what are we waiting for? You show us those 'holo-whats-its'…" Very sophisticated language, Sly.

"You mean my holographic markers?"

"Yeah, yeah-and we'll swipe whatever it takes to get shot out of that canon and steal back my family's Thievius Raccoonus!"

Getting offline, Sly locked eyes with Luna and actually say the betrayal in her eyes and he felt a pang of guilt. "Luna, I…"

"Don't say it." He had defiantly made her mad if she didn't want to hear an apology. Then again, you could never really tell what Luna was thinking.

"Well…how do you wanna do this?"

"Let's hit the library first. There could be some records on him or the rest of the Fiendish Five. The more info we have, the more of an advantage we have against them."

"Right-but do you want to do this separately, or-"

"No." Luna couldn't have been that mad if she didn't want to be away from him. "We'll do this together."

Heading to the library, they walked silently, though Luna didn't have any problems pulling up to the ledge that lead to the library. Jumping from tower to tower, Luna distracted the squid guard while Sly used the rooftop and took him out from behind.

When they entered the library, there were stacks of books piled up about the height of Luna's knees. The room could've been lit better and there were a few portraits of frogs, most likely of Raleigh's ancestors. But there a few unpleasant surprises waiting for them.

There was a blue and green mat with a globe on it and two symmetrical globes on each side. Seeing some rats step on the mat, the purpose of the globes was revealed to be to shoot darts at trespassers, not for geography. The animals quickly died and blood seeped onto the matt.

"Those rats got pegged." Sly pointed out to Bentley. It wasn't all that pleasant of a scene.

"Raleigh seems to have booby-trapped that entire area."

"I'm gonna enjoy this."

"Don't you get it, Sly?" Luna guessed that Sly's dare-devil, nonchalant attitude was getting Bentley riled up. "If you step on that rug, forget about becoming a master thief-you'll be a master dart board."

"Wait a second-what if I jump into that barrel for protection?" Raleigh must've left it there so he could cross over his own trap. "Luna's okay, she can just run and jump over it."

"I don't know, it looks pretty risky-and very unsanitary." Like most nerds-who were all very well aware of the amount of germs that surrounded them on a daily basis-Bentley was germaphobic.

"Only one way to find out!" Cutting Bentley off, Sly turned to Luna. "You think you can make it?"

Luna scoffed. "Please, if I can take ten guards at once by myself, I think I can make a little three-feet jump."

Sly smirked and jumped into the barrel, tip-toeing across the mat looking like a goddamn ballerina, and Luna took a few steps back to get a running start. Once Sly had reached the other side, she ran for a few seconds and seemed to fly like a bird.

Luna was extremely athletic. She could hold more than her own in a fight and when she ran, her feet barely touched the ground. She could lift a few dozen pounds and then run five miles and not break a sweat. Luna was quite proud of her abilities, saying she believe she'd be useless without them.

Smashing both of the globes to make the return trip easier, Sly rolled the barrel into the elevator after taking out a guard that really needed to lose some weight.

The rest of the mission was actually rather boring. It quickly fell into routine, the only excitement coming out from the guard that used fire to attack-Luna thought it was completely out of place, and decided that the guard was mutinying against Raleigh as why the hell else would he be using fire in a library? It was a congregation waiting to happen!

Sly in the barrel-the guards obviously being too stupid to notice the barrel that somehow got closer every time they turned around until it was too late-while Luna hid atop of the bookcases. Deciding to play a joke on a squid guard in overalls on the right and tossed a book to the left. Hearing the noise, the guard went to investigate. The guard seemed to believe that it had been tossed from behind him and looked around, failing to notice Sly coming up from behind and taking him out with his cane.

Luna rolled her eyes as Sly gave her his usual mischievous smirk. That man would never change, would he?

But she didn't really want him to change. If he did, he wouldn't be the man she fell in love with.

_Luna, now fifteen and fast approaching the age of sixteen, sat at her laptop typing away her essay comparing and contrasting Alexander the Great and Pericles for her history class. Her agile fingers flew over the keyboard, words forming sentences and then becoming paragraphs. She sighed. It was well after ten, much past her bedtime, and Sly, Bentley, and Murray had already gone to bed._

_ Luna was in advanced English and history classes, with Bentley being a full AP student, but she was jealous of Bentley's time management skills. Bentley always seemed to know exactly when to do his homework. If she started too early, she'd have nothing to do for the rest of the night. Most of the time, she procrastinated too much and ended up being awake half the night, leaving her exhausted in the morning._

_ She sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. She was finally almost done; it was ten pages long, very detailed and-after all the hard work, better earn her a fucking A-but she was almost done. All she had to do was finish the bibliography and print it, and she could finally sleep. _

_ After adding her sources, she hit the print button. The printer let out a beep that signaled it was out of ink._

_ She growled. "Damn it." She muttered. Why the hell couldn't she just print in black? No, she was only out of cyan, and without that she couldn't print, since her printer needed a complete cartilage. "Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!" She pounded her desk with a fist._

_ "Damn _what_?"_

_ Luna turned around to see Sly standing in her doorway. Her raccoon friend looked tired and aggravated. She had woken him up. Sly was a light sleeper._

_ "Sorry." She apologized. "My printer's out of ink, and I worked for two hours on this essay." _

_ "So? Just put it on a flash drive and print it out tomorrow before homeroom." Figures. Luna didn't like taking risks; she wanted to have a hard copy before the night was over so there would be no chance of her not being able to hand in it and having her grade suffer. And she put a lot of effort into it! _

_ Giving a sigh, she took out her flash drive out of her drawer and plugged it into the USB drive. She leaned back into the chair and sighed, sleep-deprived._

_ Sly didn't like seeing Luna so stressed. She was one of his best friends, whom he had known since he was little and he was seventeen now. He decided she shouldn't put so much pressure on herself; Luna was a smart girl, she didn't need to try so hard at something she could accomplish easily. But it's not like telling her that would actually get her to loosen up._

_ He just gave a small smile and came up from behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Baby, it's bedtime." _

_ She groaned. "I know." She said. She released herself from his grasp and turned off the light, going to bed and not even bothering to change into her pajamas (with Sly being there and all) and waved goodnight to him. He pulled the blanket over her and she held onto her pillow._

Upon reaching the treasure key, Luna gestured it was his turn to break the case. He tossed it to her and she placed in her bag. "Alright, we're done here. Let's head back."

Sly nodded, but reached out for her hand. "Luna, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to scare you like that-I just wanted to hear you shriek when I pounced on you…and I'm also sorry about the mud."

Luna considered his apology. From the puppy-dog eyes and genuinely sorry expression, she caved. "Alright, apology accepted…just don't do it again."

Sly grinned. "I won't."

** So that's the end of that! Sly deserves some congratulations for getting out of the doghouse in just one chapter. I have to say, I really like how this turned out. Wow, this just BARELY reached my minimum of five pages!**

** Until next time!**

** ~Mimi**


	5. Growing Pains and Growing Up

**This chapter is dedicated to angelmariela and Leronald12 (who also added this story to their alerts) for adding my story to their favorites. C: I don't get as many reviews as other stories, but I love how Artemis' Hunters always reviews when a new chapter is up; it means a lot to me. Thanks for the support guys. **

_Luna laid in her bed, unable to sleep for tomorrow was the day she turned 18. She looked to the starry sky through her window, her eyes on the full moon. Sly, Bentley, and Murray had already left, and had a place downtown. She sighed. Ever since they left, she had been feeling alone. She didn't have anyone to sit next to anymore, no one to talk to at dinner. She'd never been apart since they were children, and Luna was just happy she would finally be living with them after tomorrow. That is, if they had plans to stay together._

_ After tossing and turning for a few more minutes, Luna fell asleep on her side, and was woken by her alarm at seven the next day._

_ She looked around her room; it was almost bare. Her books and clothes were packed in the boxes that stacked up on each other, and her laptop was on its charger on her dresser, the only thing left beside her bed, desk, and nightstand. She unplugged her alarm clock and put in the only box that wasn't full. She looked out to her window and spotted a moving truck._

_ She ran a brush through her brown hair and changed into the clothes she had set out the previous night. She sighed as she placed her pajamas in a plastic bag. She was eighteen, and now it was time to move on. Get a job, go to college with the scholarships she had earned from high school, and just…move on. Without the only family she had ever truly known._

_ Mrs. Smith knocked on her door, and they looked at each other with sad smiles on their faces. Luna would miss this woman the most. She had played a motherly role in Luna's life; she had given her advice when life had gotten rough, braided her hair, and had always been there for Luna. The woman had aged considerably over the years, with slight wrinkles around her eyes and her blonde hair had grown limp. They hugged each other and Mrs. Smith helped Luna move her things into the truck as the movers came in the room for her dresser and bed._

_ When she went outside, she found a surprise._

_ Bentley, Murray, and Sly were waiting for her._

_ "Guys!" Luna shouted, dropping her box onto the ground. She charged at them and nearly slammed Sly into the ground. Bentley awkwardly hugged her while Murray almost broke her in half. Luna took a couple steps back when Murray released her. She looked at them, then at Mrs. Smith, and then at the place she could no longer call home._

_ She turned to Mrs. Smith and gave a weak smile. Luna wanted to stay, but her loyalty to her friends was forcing her to place the boxes in the truck and say goodbye._

_ She sighed. Growing was painful. Growing up was excruciating. _

_ Bentley tapped her on the back. "Hey, let's get a picture." She nodded. They posed in front of the house while Mrs. Smith took a picture with Bentley's digital camera. They had taken several pictures over the years, only with each other, to show their growth. Mrs. Smith had written their different heights on the back of each photo._

_ "You ready, Luna?" Murray asked. Luna nodded. She looked towards the orphanage for the last time, and got a picture with Mrs. Smith._

_ Luna gathered up her courage, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling from her eyes. "I'll miss you!" She cried embracing the elderly woman one last time._

_ They had a group hug and they got into the rickety blue van Murray had purchased just a few days. "It'll look awesome once I, you know, fix it up." Murray said confidently as they boarded._

_ "Murray! This van only has two seats!" Luna shouted from the back. Leave it to Murray to pick a van with not enough seats._

_ "We'll manage." Sly said, patting her head like a child. "Besides, what do we care? We break the law all the time." Murray wasn't even a licensed driver; with all of the waiting periods and paper work and tests it just wasn't worth it, especially now that Luna was out of the orphanage and their thieving reputation could really grow._

_ After they arrived at the apartment, there was little space; only one bedroom and a bathroom, a tiny kitchen and a small living room. But it would do. After all, it wasn't like they were staying long. After they sold Luna's bed, dresser, and nightstand, they would hit the museum for that gold violin that was worth a few hundred thousand dollars and then move on. It would take two weeks at the most. Bentley was already devising a plan._

_ Luna looked from the hippo, to her masked friend, and the intellectual. "So…we're staying together?"_

_ Sly scoffed. "Of course…" He looked uncertain. "You know, unless…you want to do something else?"_

_ Luna shook her head wildly. "Never! This is what I want. I want us to be together, I don't want the good times to end."_

_ Embracing each other one more time, they set up their sleeping bags and pillows and went to get pizza for dinner. Dinner was lighthearted and cheerful as they talked about old times and the experiences they had shared. Murray had come close to choking twice because he was laughing so hard._

_ But after dinner, the air turned serious._

_ Sly had pulled them into a dark alley with the only light being provided by the moon._

_ Luna raised an eyebrow. "Sly, what is this?" Had Sly changed his mind? Did he decide to go it alone?_

_ "I need you guys to promise me something." His tone and face left them flabbergasted. Sly had never spoken or looked so seriously in the past. There really was a first time for everything._

_ "Okay." Luna nodded._

_ "I told you guys the story about my dad, and…I want you guys to help me track down the Fiendish Five and steal back my family's Thievius Raccoonus."_

_ Luna remembered the story. Sly came from a long line of master thieves who kept their secrets in an ancient book. On the night Sly was supposed to inherit it, the Fiendish Five came to his family's door. Sly's father Connor pushed Sly into the closet with his cane and tried to fend off the attacks but failed. After killing Sly's father, they went for his frightened and mourning mother. They ransacked Sly's home until they found the Thievius Raccoonus._

_ Now Sly was asking them to help him avenge his family and take back their most valued treasure._

_ Luna took a deep breath and nodded. Holding out her hand, she said with a confident expression, "I'm in."_

_ Bentley placed his hand over hers. "Me too."_

_ Murray gave a joyful cry and joined in. "Me three!"_

_ Sly felt a strong sense of pride in his friends. They were willingly to commit their lives for his cause, and he knew he had to be there for him. His hand joined theirs and the pact was made._

_ After getting home, Luna plopped onto her pillow. Today, she felt different. She felt a little more mature, a little more grown up. She had left her old life behind, and while choosing Sly and choosing to be a thief had blocked many pathways, one was left and it was the only one she wanted. _

_ She would be there to protect them, to keep them safe in the field and put the skills she had learned over the years that had gone by to good use. She'd be the voice of reason when no one wanted to listen to Bentley (the poor guy) and most importantly, she'd stay by their sides._

_ Bentley had crawled into his sleeping bag, ready for bed. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." He was happy to have the team back together, and now that Luna wasn't restricted by her age, the law couldn't hold her back anymore._

_ True, Bentley was nervous about the future, despite how sure the others seemed. He was scared that one day the law would catch them, and they'd all be off to jail. But Sly had reassured time and time again that nothing like that would happen, that they would succeed._

_ Murray was the most tired. He had eaten several pizzas and chugged several liters of soda with Sly and Bentley shouting "GO! GO! GO!" while Luna only laughed hysterically at him. Now it was finally starting to catch up with him. This was a reminder to never mix pop rocks and soda. Luna told him his stomach would explode!_

_ Murray was still excited for their new lives; he couldn't wait to start working on the team van. He'd paint flames on it, he'd make it awesome! It'd the coolest thing ever!_

_ But beside Murray's thrill for the future and Bentley's worry, Sly lay down the most restless. The girl who lay only two feet away from him was the only thing on his mind. Luna had chosen to stay with him, not go her own way, not go to college and graduate and find some other asshole to be with and marry and have kids with and…_

_ He didn't even want to think about that. He didn't want to lose Luna to another man._

_ He was thrilled that Luna had chosen him. Okay, so she had chosen to be him, Bentley, and Murray, but he was still there. He didn't think Luna felt that way about him, but he knew how he felt about her. Ever since he was ten, he knew he liked her and now nearly twenty, it was clear he was in love with her. _

_ True, Luna lectured and worried and could be pessimistic and sarcastic, but he saw the other side of her, the side that loved and cared and stood strong and loyal and faithful to him and her other friends. He loved all sides of her, and he didn't care how long it took, he'd make her fall in love with him no matter what._

_ When they were younger, Luna didn't have her martial skills as developed as they were now. When they went to parties at the houses of their fellow students (after suckering Bentley and Luna into going), Sly never left her side. Twice-_twice_-some bastard tried to give her a drink laced with drugs. That hadn't ended like he had planned since Sly had come close to breaking both of his legs with his cane. Even though Luna didn't need protection anymore, he'd still be there to help her when she needed. Luna was strong willed and feisty, but she could only carry so much weight on her shoulders._

_ Looking at Luna's peaceful and serene expression as she slept, he could understand why so many guys wanted her. She had grown lovely over the years. Sly used to see her as a friend, just Luna, but once they grew up he saw her as a girl. It had taken him a while to get used to that. All those years Sly believed Luna to just be Luna until it really hit him that Luna was a _girl_._

_ And now, here they were: about to become famous thieves. He could never do it without Bentley's genius and Murray's brawn and Luna's skills. He could never have done this alone, and would never want to. And now he didn't have to. As long as he had Luna by his side, he'd never be alone._

**So this chapter, I decided to do only flashbacks so everyone could get a better idea of the gang's history together. I'll probably put one of these up every couple of chapters or so. Also, there's foreshadowing in this, you just need to find it. Look hard!**

** Until next time!**

** ~Mimi**


	6. Lessons Learned and Lessons Taught

**Hello everyone! This is Mimi, and to start things off, I want to thank escamval13 for reviewing my story, and also adding it to her favorites and alerts. I love the support I get from you guys, especially Artemis' Hunters; she's awesome and she's a loyal reviewer. It's finally the weekend, so you'll review your updates for sure. C:**

Sly and Luna had to get past a squid guard to get access to the next area. Luna thought it looked something like one of the museums they had robbed; expensive-looking vases, statues, and paintings. Not to mention all of the security. After passing the red skull door that they both thought were out of place, yellow lasers going wall-to-wall were waiting for them.

"Jackpot, guys!" Bentley said over the Binocucom. "Look at all this stuff! It must be worth millions! And you know that means-tighter security. You're going to have to be extra sneaky to get the treasure key here."

Bentley wasn't kidding. Once they got to the room with surrounding water, there was a skull above their heads shooting lasers at them; it must've been able to sense heat, because it kept following them. After smashing the little red and yellow alarm that resembled a fire hydrant, two guards were waiting for them.

The next step was getting over lily pads. Luna really didn't like this Raleigh guy. It was as if he was trying everything to keep Sly from getting to him. But it would take more than that.

"Sly, watch your step." Sly only brushed her off and leapt lily pad to lily pad, Luna's heart pounding a bit harder each time he landed. Luna could go two at a time and therefore landed quicker than he did. Fortunately, other than the spotlights, there weren't any other obstacles waiting for them.

Luna grinned. "That's the sixth key. We have just one more to go, and then, we're going up against Raleigh."

However, Luna hadn't realized the gravity of what she said.

Luna wasn't sure what happened. One moment she had been speaking with Bentley, the next she was 20 feet underwater in a submarine screaming bloody murder and cutting off Sly's circulation as she held onto him. "Can you stop screaming?" He asked, shooting at the crabs.

Luna couldn't believe that in order to get that last damn key, they had to shoot the crabs that inhabited the area so they could actually get to it, and Bentley decided it was a good idea to shoot the treasure chests that came from the shipwrecks for the gold. But Luna didn't like loud noises, nor did she enjoy giant crabs coming at her with only a thin wall of glass topping them.

Crab claws and shells and guts were everywhere; the sight was disgusting. Finally, when no more crabs came at them, they had collected sufficient treasure and the key.

Once back on land, Luna was panting hard, thrilled to be back on dry land; God, she loved the ground. "Let's never do that again. My heart can't take it."

Sly laughed. "Well, that's the last key. Now let's get Raleigh."

"Oh, God damn it." The canon. Abso-fucking-lutely wonderful.

The canon was long and red, and throwing the keys into the locks like the guards did with their stars, they fell to the ground with a loud ping-sound. She sighed, just trying to get her heart to calm down. It was certainly taking a lot of abuse today. Jumping into the canon after Sly, she was screaming they crashed into the storm machine through the window.

Raleigh, a small frog with a blue hat that was three times taller than he was, did not look happy to see them. He glowered at them with nothing short of contempt; his glare seemed permanent. He sat on a red thrown that looked far too tall for him. The hat he were looked like it had gears and screws on it. "How delightful-we have guests. The only thing is…_I hate uninvited guests_!" From the loudness of his voice, the file had been right about him being hot-tempered.

Sly wasn't too pleased with him earlier. His eyes narrowed slightly, and Luna standing ready with her arms out in front of her, this was going to get as ugly as the frog in front of them. "Listen Raleigh," he said, pointing his cane on him. "Wipe out my family and steal what's mine, you _better_ expect company."

"Oh, I'm ever _so_ sorry," Raleigh's voice dripped with sarcasm but underneath, it was still laced with venom and dislike. "How sloppy of me not to finish the job-obviously we shouldn't snuffed you out as well. So, without further ado, let me make amends by…" He started to borderline scream at them. "_Bloating to gargantuan size and squashing you like the insignificant bug that you are_!"

Sly didn't take him seriously. "Bring it on."

Raleigh's tongue shot out for a fly, and proved he wasn't kidding about growing to a massive size. He plopped onto the floats that surrounded them, jumping after Sly and Luna.

"Careful," Luna said, avoiding Raleigh's attempts at attacking them. After "hopping" after them a few times, he shrunk back down to his normal size. Sly swatted him with his cane, like he was one of the flies he had eaten.

"Relax, you got nothin' to worry about!" Sly said as Raleigh came after again. After a few minutes of the repeating pattern and Raleigh failing to land a hit, he hit a switch.

"Shit!" Luna shouted as a whistle went off. Only one of the floats hadn't been brought under water, and she hadn't managed to land on it. She grabbed onto its' edges.

"Luna!" Sly, outraged that Raleigh had endangered _his girl's_ safety, smacked him pretty damn hard-Sly knew he had broken something from the loud _crack_ that echoed through the room.

"Blast it all!" The bested frog began. "You've beaten me!" Sly pulled Luna out of the water, and he didn't care if she was soaked from the torso down and got him wet as well, he pulled her into his lap and held her tight, glaring at Raleigh the entire time. "Well, gloat all you want, Sly Cooper. You're no match for Muggshot, my villainous cohort in Utah. You will see; Mesa City is so well-guarded, a snake couldn't slither in without setting off alarms!" It was the last words Raleigh managed to get out before he finally lost consciousness in the water.

Sly brought himself and Luna to their feet. "Are you okay?" He asked, holding her tightly by her arms. She nodded, and he brought her close. Now he knew how she felt when he had scared her; that fear of losing her had terrified him. He inwardly promised her to never scare her like that again.

Going to the safe and getting the code from Bentley, they found Raleigh's section of the Thievius Raccoonus. It contained instructions of how to preform Sly's ancestor Rioichi Cooper's Ninja Spire Jump, a technique he had apparently developed while sneaking into the castles of feudal Japan.

They turned to Bentley and Murray, and getting off Raleigh's boat got a little tricky with the untimely arrival of Carmelita. Failing to find them, she busted Raleigh and his crew. With the storm machine out of commission, boats found their way back onto the ocean and the memory of the Welsh triangle faded from memory.

They decided to stay in England for a while, making off with her Royal Majesty's crown jewels with Bentley and Murray posing as tourists after Bentley took down the security and Luna and Sly made off with the gems. Then they headed back home, excited for their next heist.

**Okay, now I know this chapter was short, but we're done with Raleigh's part of the story and we're moving on to Muggshot. I have to say, I'm excited for this part. I actually have an estimate as to when volume two will be up, and at this rate, it'll probably be three or four weeks. After a few chapters, I'll be able to give a better estimate.**

** Until next time!**

** ~Mimi**


	7. Security and Guards

**People, fans and readers! Welcome to chapter seven! Thanks for reading. No new reviewers this time, but I still love the support I get. Those who do review always say the nicest things and it always makes my day when I read them.**

The team van raced around the corners, it being bright and early (around two AM) so they could avoid any unwanted attention. Murray had designed the van, and it wasn't very inconspicuous, with their logo right on the front. They returned to the police file: their next target was Muggshot, the ruthless muscle of the Fiendish Five; what he lacked in brains, he defiantly made up for in brawn.

But upon further reading, they discovered he wasn't always that way. He grew up as the runt of the litter-the neighborhood weakling. He had been bullied and teased and had gotten sand kicked in his face. The only friends he had were on the big screen. He saw those tough and strong gangsters and knew instantly that's what he wanted to be.

"This is why children couldn't be allowed to see those kinds of movies; it gives them ideas." Luna scoffed. She realized how easily-influenced children were, and exposing them to that kind of violence just never ended well.

Muggshot had spent the rest of his youth working hard to achieve that dream of great power and respect, and after enough blood, sweat, and tears, he realized it. He had become a hard-boiled, street-brawling, tough-as-nails gangster.

Even though she knew what Muggshot had down in the best, her forever-bleeding heart had to feel a bit sorry for him. He did what he did because of the bullies. Luna knew how it felt to be picked on. As a child, she had been teased frequently by the other orphans because the only friends she had were guys, and she was more interested in books than makeup and clothes.

And now, with most of them stuck in rehab for their drinking and drug habits; the rest were overweight housewives with no careers and too many children and could barely afford to pay the bills. Luna was a notorious and successful thief with a vile reputation for cunning and manipulation.

"_You can't get ahead by getting even." _

_-Unknown_

"_Success is the best revenge." _

_-Dahvie Vanity, Blood On The Dance Floor_

So fuck you.

Driving up to Mesa City, Luna felt like it had been years since her last visit to America. The gate to Mesa City was closed, and most of the bulbs for the neon sign were out. The only way up was to climb up a pole on the side of the gate.

Getting up to the top and getting to the edge of the cliff, the silence they heard felt so foreign. Luna found herself on edge.

"_When you're not on edge, you're taking up too much space." _

–_The Cheshire Cat, Alice: Madness Returns_

Sly and Luna pulled out their Binocucoms. Bentley sounded as if he had been deceived. "Hey Sly, I thought you said Mesa City was going to be loud and busy. This looks more like a ghost town."

"Something's happened-where is everyone?" Sly asked, mostly to himself.

Luna didn't like the situation. It didn't seem good. "I don't know," Bentley decided to make an attempt at getting Sly to leave. "But it's starting to give me the creeps. What do you say we take off?"

"And miss all the fun?" Luna decided she was going to get Sly a dictionary for Christmas. Obviously, he didn't know the word "fun" meant. His definition and her definition had to be two completely different definitions. "Besides, I want to try out that new move I got from Raleigh's section of the Thievius Raccoonus."

"You mean the ninja spire jump?"

"Yeah-Luna, it looks like you're just gonna have to use this rope here." Luna guessed that it was Sly's way of telling her her feet were too big to fit on the small points. Her genetics were not her fault. Sly should just be grateful that Luna spoke and read Japanese, otherwise it would've been a pain to translate the instructions.

It was a good thing she always sported black fingerless gloves. The wire looked sharp, and would've surely cut her hands had she not been wearing them. Sly still had an easier time getting across than she did.

He pulled Luna to her feet, and the mission progressed well until they met some slobbery mangy thing on a chain. It tried to get close by was pulled back by its leash. Sly smacked it. Hard.

The security would only get tougher.

Luna wasn't sure what to think of the laser light show Muggshot had left for them. Sly got their turtle friend back online. "Bentley, what's with those flashing lights?"

"The latest in in high-tech security- electronic floor sensors; step on them, and you're a goner."

"Nice touch."

"They're safe to walk on while flashing, but it also means they're about to switch to a different sector."

"Fuck." Luna muttered.

After getting past the laser grid, they ran into a couple of guards. One had been a _very_ bad dog from the orange jumpsuit and heavy chain ball he used as a throwing weapon. The other was a Dalmatian familiar with cards games and threw to try and slice their skin. After the Dalmatian, two more of the drooling mutts were waiting for them.

As they went further and further into the city, the damage Muggshot had done become more and more prominent. There were barrels on fire, the houses had been vandalized and windows were broken, and destroyed cars littered the area.

But the security was impressive and dangerous. There were devices set up that tried to squish them. Two guards charged from behind a face, and another dog that most likely just got out of jail was waiting for them. A rickety _subway car_ with _lasers_ _rocking back and forth on a thin cliff_ came after him. That had proved to be the most difficult to overcome. Using hooks to get over water had been a nerve-wrecking challenge for Luna as well. Muggshot had used many lasers on the last car.

After taking out another Dalmatian, a treasure key was waiting for them. After getting the lock off the door-child's play compared to getting the key-they arrived to Muggshot's Turf.

Upon seeing the large signs that spelled the bulldog's name and the large balloon of him in the sky, they all reached the same conclusion. Bentley actually sounded indifferent to the situation. "This Muggshot certainly isn't shy. Okay, so we know he's here somewhere, but how are we supposed to find him? Mesa City is a big place." It was funny, actually ironical, that Bentley was asking them that question. He was the brains of their team; he was supposed to know everything and be able to hack into a computer and find out everything they needed to know. Only then did Luna realize that Muggshot most likely didn't have any computers. He was just the brawn; he probably didn't have any technological devices.

Sly and Luna zoomed in on the fire hydrant on the sky scraper that read MUGGSHOT in green neon. "Given that he's a bull dog…it seems only reasonable to assume he'd chose to live in a giant fire hydrant."

"That's some sound logic, Sly. Now you just need to find a way to break into the building's base."

Upon further inspection, they found a car with three locks. Sly assumed it be a mustang; probably Muggshot's ride or it belonged to one of the guards with flashlights. "Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something." From the look in Sly's eyes, it seemed he already had.

**I just wanted to point something out-the first two quotes at the start of the chapter go hand in hand. The first is saying that you can't get ahead by getting even, but the second says success is the best revenge. The second quote (from my favorite band) is basically saying that you get even by getting ahead (the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary). Also, there's a reference to the Mortal Instruments series here.**

** Until next time!**

** ~Mimi**


	8. Gunshots and Wounds

**Hey guys, I'm here with the next chapter. Also, please excuse the crappiness of the last chapter. I miss a lot of words so the sentences didn't come out like they were supposed to. Also please excuse the lateness of this chapter. I know I promised daily updates, but I was very sick yesterday and had to rest. So, without further ado, let's begin. **

Their first heist would be at the Boneyard Casino, but Muggshot's announcement telling that he had received that there was a cop patrolling the area and for his goons to keep a sharp eye out, things got complicated fast. And if there really was a cop, the chances were that Carmelita wouldn't be far behind.

"Bentley, did you get that? Muggshot gave word that there's police around here." Luna murmured into her Binocucom. The casino, actually well-lit with cent and dollar sign chandeliers and plenty of slot machines, was heavily guarded. All of the guard bore resemblances to bouncers with their suits and sunglasses. They had to carefully get by them by getting on top of the little gardens behind the slot machines and had to be very careful not to make any noise.

Once they came to a fallen chandelier, the rest of the casino became flooded. _Flooded._ How did they even make sense? Luna's frustration was growing. Between the guards, the risk of police, and now there was the threat of drowning into Mesa City; they were in Utah, a very dry area. She groaned and climbed up the cord of the cent symbol.

After that, there was the joy of jumping from dollar sign to dollar high in the air with the risk of falling to their deaths in filthy water and then coming to a guard with a flashlight near some poker tables.

Luna took a deep breath and ran her hand through her hair, a nervous habit. "Things are only going to get tougher." Luna was already out of breathe, and they had barely begun. Raleigh had proven to be rather simple and easy to get past, but Muggshot was different. Perhaps it was just because of his gangster ways, but Muggshot was going to be a challenge. She didn't want to think about how hard the rest of the Fiendish Five would be to deal with.

Sly rubbed her back, trying to settle his love's nerves. "It's alright Luna; I'll be there, and Bentley and Murray will be there to help us."

Luna nodded, trying to compose herself. "Right. I did promise to help you." She did feel better with Sly's word and knowing he'd be by her side.

Sly couldn't help but feel touched that Luna had abandoned any plans for her future to be with him. Luna had said she didn't want to do anything else with her future, but with Luna, you would never know if she did have plans and only acted out of the loyalty she had to him. But regardless of the past, he was determined to get her to say she felt something for him, even if it was the last thing he did. He smiled and pressed them on.

After more airborne climbing and ducking the guards, their last obstacle was straightforward, just irritating. A green and red roulette wheel that looked like it came from a circus. According to Bentley, they had to jump clockwise to land on the green section with three music notes on it. One disappeared each time they landed correctly.

It was very frustrating for Luna; she was a strong jumper, but too strong for this job. She kept jumping over it, and only Sly could manage to get the key. Luna sighed. Today was just not her day.

_Luna collapsed on her back onto the couch._

_ Her nerves had been destroyed, her heart was still racing inside her chest, pounding against her ribcage, there was a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she just a tiny bit traumatized by the drama they had suffered earlier in the evening._

_ She groaned, exhausted like the members of their misfit family, and flipped onto her stomach. Usually, something little did tend to go wrong with Bentley's plans, but tonight was different. Tonight, their plan had exploded in their faces, Luna had been grazed with a bullet on her arm, and they had nearly been arrested and put in prison. _

_ She winced. The bandaged skin had brushed up against the arm of the sofa. "Damn it." She muttered through gritted teeth. The pain was still sharp and fresh._

_ "Luna," That was Sly. Her raccoon friend hadn't let her alone since the bullet had nearly struck her. "Are you sure you're okay?" _

_ Sly usually wasn't that serious. He was almost always confident and cool with a cocky personality. But right now, his face held a worried expression, and his eyes hadn't left her wound. Luna nodded. "Yeah, I'll live." She kept quiet as pain shot up her arm._

_ "Really." From his tone, Luna realized that Sly did not believe her. Fuck._

_ "Yes, really." He didn't look convinced, and Bentley was giving her that look he again when he thought (figured out) she was lying about an injury or something like that._

True, today was not as disastrous as that day had been for her, but their futures did not look bright. She took a deep breathe again and they proceeded.

_That awful sound penetrated Sly's ears. He heard a cry of pain and saw Luna hunched over on the floor, holding her hand over her wound with blood dripping down her arm. "Luna!" Sly shouted, coming to his lover's aid. He helped her to her feet and pulled her into his arms and held her close to his chest. "Are you okay?"_

_ Sly felt terrified. The only time he had ever felt so scared was when the Fiendish Five attacked his home and took away his parents. Now the police had shot Luna. She winced, trying to stop the bleeding (smart girl), and nodded. He held onto her tight, and ran as fast as he could from Carmelita and her fellow officers who didn't seem to be afraid to use lethal force. _

_ He set her down in the van, Murray and Bentley shocked to see that Luna hadn't been able to move faster to avoid the bullet. She sat down on the couch, and held the hand that had covered the wound to her face. It was completely covered in the sticky red substance. "Shit." Luna grumbled._

_ Bentley appeared next to her, holding some cotton balls and a clear substance in a bottle. Luna was dreading the next moment. The bottle held rubbing alcohol in it. "This is going to sting." He warned, dabbing a cotton ball in the bottle. _

_ Sly held her hand. "Just squeeze if it hurts, okay?" She nodded. Sly just wanted to ease her pain, at least a little._

The next 10 minutes would prove to suck for Luna.

Murray had been challenged to a race by gangster dogs (which made no sense to her, as she was positive that they would simply shoot him until he stopped twitching though she was very thankful she didn't) to race three times around a track for a key.

Luna panicked.

What if they cheated and shot at him through the window or windshield? What if they popped his tires? What if they had done something to sabotage their van and he spun out of control and crashed! There were too many bad possibilities floating around in her head for her to calm down, let alone relax or "chill out" as Sly put it.

She did not feel better as Murray took a few hard turns, narrowly avoiding a potential crash and injuries, and she let out a "yelp" each time one of the other racers skidded against him.

Her heart still pounded furiously even when Murray got the key. She gave a sigh of relief that Murray had come out unscathed. The van had survived as well, albeit a few scuffs and scratches on the paint job.

Leaving Murray to return to the van, they returned to the damaged red car with the treasure keys. Unlocking it, Sly flipped the switch with his cane and the car backed up and crashed into the wall. The door was opened for them, and they took off before any of the guards could come to investigate the noise.

Two doors slid open for them, and they came across what seemed to be a model of Muggshot's head, an actual smoking cigar and all-defiantly a "tough-as-nails" gangster.

"Would you look at that ugly mug?" Sly said, actually sounding just a tiny bit grossed out.

"I am, and I find it infinitely fascinating."

"Huh?" Sly had known Bentley for a very long time, and while he had heard some strange things come out of his friend's mouth, that was something he couldn't understand.

"My x-ray detection devices reveal that a secret elevator to Muggshot's penthouse is contained within that giant head."

"Lovely." Luna said sarcastically. This Muggshot seemed to be quite the character.

"So, how do we get in?"

They looked toward a wall with orange neon lights shaped like bones that held several locks on it. "Behind that locked wall, there's a lever that summons the elevator. But you need all seven keys to open it up."

"We're on it."

Luna gave a smirk. "Confident as always, I see."

"Naturally."

Luna would make to update her journal that night; her remembering the time she had nearly been shot, how difficult the mission had become (and so quickly too), and how thrilled she was just to have Sly by her side.

**Once again, I am so sorry. With the number of days that have passed, we should be with Muggshot by now. I fell ill over the weekend and I had to stay in bed and rest (the screen aggravated my migraine) and it's just a very hard time for me right now. I'm sorry, and I'll try to update soon! Also, I did cut out the other Murray level "Murray's Big Gamble" because I don't think there's really much I could've done with it. I'll replace it with something else. You'll see. C:**

** Until next time (which is hopefully soon)!**

** ~Mimi**


	9. Feelings and Questions

**Oh my God, I know I promised this yesterday. I'm sorry, but I was just slammed with homework and I had to work for four hours from the time I got home at three to seven last night. Also, this takes place when they're adults, about a year after the last flashback chapter. This chapter is for nevergonnafitin for adding this story to her favorites. C:**

_Luna had Sly put the thermometer under his tongue and they listened for the beep. Sly seemed to have trouble walking and focusing. His fur had turned a lighter color, indicating pale skin. After she felt his forehead, she demanded that he take his temperature. It read 102. Sly had a fever._

_ She went to the sink to wet a cloth and scowled at herself. This had been because Sly had fallen into the water. He had nearly drowned, terrifying Luna, Bentley, and Murray behind belief, and he had spent too long in soaked clothes; because of Luna's incompetence and inability to get her friend out of the water fast enough, Sly had to pay the price._

_ She placed it on his forehead and Bentley went to the medicine cabinet as Sly started coughing. Luna gave a frown, a pang of guilt striking her heart, and went to heat up some tea and added honey. She handed Sly the tea and he downed two pills._

_ "Don't worry Luna." Her raccoon friend offered a smile, an attempt to try and ease her guilt. Of course Luna would blame herself; she had tried her hardest to keep him away from the water, and it wasn't her fault that he had moved too fast and fallen in._

_ "Well, I'm going to worry anyway." _

_ "It's not your fault, you know."_

_ "…Shut up and drink your tea." _

_ "Yes mother."_

_ That had earned him a dirty look from an embarrassed and flustered Luna. She rolled her eyes, her usual habit that she had been doing more and more of lately, and she still felt just a bit like a failure from their humiliating mission in France._

_ Luna had been afraid of failure since she was a child. Her parents, while they loved her dearly, were always so proud of the good grades Luna brought home. Luna began to fear what her parents would think if she brought even just one B. They had unknowingly and unintentionally put the weight of ten boulders on their younger daughter's shoulders. Luna spent all of her time studying, and even after she became orphaned she turned to history and languages that people several years older than her wouldn't think about._

_ Only now did the medical knowledge her mother had given her come in handy. True, her mother hadn't been around long enough to tell her much, but she had told Luna what to do when sick or taking care of a sick person: stay in bed, try to lower their temperature, hot tea with honey for sore throats, and medicine to treat other symptoms. Make sure they rest._

_ She changed the cloth on Sly's forehead. Her mother had placed emphasis on body temperature. "Sly, you need to sleep." She said firmly. _

_ Sly responded with his usual smirk. Obviously, he wasn't that sick. But he liked Luna paying so much attention to him. "Why would I want to sleep? Then I'd miss your beautiful face." Satisfied with the blush painted across her face, he watched her stutter._

_ "Y-You really are sick. Seriously, don't say things like that." He heard her mutter something, and he could almost swear she had said, "Delirious dumbass," under her breathe. He was far from delirious. It was just a fever._

_ The hours passed, and under Luna's constant care, Sly's temperature went down two degrees. Bentley guessed that he'd be well and ready to go by tomorrow, as long as he slept well. Sly ensured that he would._

_ Bentley and Murray had already gone to bed when Luna laid the battered and patched blue blanket over Sly. He smiled and thanked her, but when Luna turned around, he murmured, "I'm still cold." _

_ Luna turned to her friend. "You want my throw and sleeping bag?" She asked. She raised an eyebrow when he shook his head no, saying then she'd be cold._

_ "Come here." She did as she was told, and let out a small yelp when he pulled her down and brought her close to his chest. Luna's heart was beating fast, drumming in her chest. He let out a steady breathe and reached for the throw nearby on the floor, covering her with it._

_ The only sound Luna could hear was his slow and steady heartbeat, a contrast to her own. He ran his fingers through her hair, rubbing her back until she closed her eyes and fell asleep with her arms around him._

_ He sighed, bringing his arms around her waist. He always felt relaxed when Luna was near him. He rarely got the chance to hold her so close, especially with Bentley and Murray around. And he didn't think he'd be able to keep her close very often; Luna was smart, she'd be able to figure out that he loved her if he was always trying to hold her._

_ But there was always something that would be better than just hugging her. More than anything else, he wanted to kiss her. But he was scared that she'd get mad, that she somehow didn't feel the same, or felt that it would better if they just stayed friends; so friends they stayed. _

_ But he wanted more. He wanted so much with her. But sometimes he felt like that they'd be stuck that way forever-just friends. He realized Bentley already figured out how Sly felt about her, and he knew Murray couldn't be that far behind him. Lucky for him, Luna wouldn't believe anyone if they said Sly loved her unless it came from Sly himself. That was one of the many amazing things about Luna; she didn't believe rumors or gossip or anything like that; if feelings about each other among four people even could be gossip. _

_ There had always been gossip about Luna. The two most popular topics were her sexuality (due to her tomboyish personality and her inability to make friends with girls) and which one-Bentley, Sly, or Murray-was her boyfriend. It was a complete loop. Some people would say she was straight and then ask who she was with and then she would say no one. Then people would question her sexuality again. It was a cycle, and Luna was happy it was over when they finally left school._

_ But all the thinking led up to the same question: would he and Luna ever be? The question blazed in his head like a wild forest fire. _

_ Morning broke over the horizon, and Luna was happy that she woke up first. God, she was just thankful Bentley and Murray didn't see it. They would never have left her alone about it! She combed her hair and went to the bathroom to change her clothes._

_ Sly woke up while Luna changed, disappointed to find that she was gone. Hopefully she didn't ask questions. With the thoughts that whirled around in his mind, he wasn't sure what would come out in the process._

_ Luna sighed. She wanted to tell Sly how she felt-she really did. But she just didn't think he felt the same way about her. She knew he was just messing with her, calling her pet names and always trying to be near her. That had to be it. It had to be._

_ In reality, Luna was scared to take the next step._

_ Too much uncertainty troubled her. What if it didn't work out? What if they just weren't right for each other? What would happen to their friendship? Hell, what would happen to the team? It could be ruined if this thing with Sly didn't work out-if there even was a thing. She just didn't want to lose the only family she had left._

_ However, no matter what, they both came to the same conclusion and decision: no matter what happened in the future, they would always be there to support each other. And Sly made sure to scare off any guys that got too close to Luna._

**Again, I'm sorry this was late. I'm trying to get back into daily updates, but I've just had so much homework lately! I'm just trying to balance work and play, and to me, this counts as work. When I'm not doing homework or working on another chapter, I'm playing Sims 2: Pets. And don't forget, I plan on putting up the "A New Face: Christmas Special" on Christmas Day as an oneshot. It won't be part of this story.**


	10. Pain and Suffering

**Hello everyone! Mimi again. Now, I know I just did another flashback chapter, but I think you guys need more background information on Luna. This chapter takes place when Luna was a little girl, the day both of her parents die. WARNING: this is a very sad chapter. **

_Luna stared at her parents, both completely unconscious. Her eyes flickered from her mother to her father. Their furs that were previously a deep brown were as white as the bed sheets that matched the pale room around them. Their breathing was awful and unsteady. The sound hurt her ears._

_ She looked at the doctor, who sat in a chair looking a clip board. Even though Luna was young-so young to be going through this-she knew the grim look on his face wasn't good. She looked at her reflection on the clean tile floor. Bags were under her bloodshot eyes and her hair was messy and tangled. She hadn't slept in days. Even know, her eyes threatened to close from her standing position. She bit her lip. She was scared. God, she was so scared. _

_ The only positive thing on her mind was the hope that her parents would become well again. She remembered the last night they tucked her into bed, kissed her goodnight, and returned to the living room to read and go over their work. That night had been over a week ago. She kept telling herself that they'd be okay and would return home with her soon. But as the minutes clicked by, that hope diminished just a bit more._

_ She crawled rested her head on her mother's bed. She felt so exhausted. She had refused to go to school, and insisted on staying with her family. With both of her parents knocked out, they didn't have the authority to make her attend class and had to let her stay. But the stress had wrecked her, leaving her unable to resist sleep once she closed her eyes._

_ When she awoke, she looked at her mother and reached for her hand. She was startled when she felt how cold she was. "Mommy?" She murmured. She took a closer look. Her mother wasn't breathing. No signs of life. "Mommy!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, though only loud enough to get the attention of the nurses and doctors, not enough to wake her almost comatose father._

_ The doctors shoved her aside trying to save Luna's mother with Luna screaming for her the entire time to the point where the nurses had to hold her back. "Mommy!" Tears spilled from her eyes. They stung so badly. "Mommy, please don't leave! Don't leave me!" _

_ But it was too late. Her mother was gone. She had died somewhere between midnight and three in the morning. It felt like a bullet in her heart._

_ Later that day, her mother's body was taken from the hospital to the morgue. Luna cried and cried, comforted only by a kind nurse that held her and let her cry into her shoulder. "Mommy, why did you leave?"_

_ Her mother's prescence was gone. She didn't feel her warm and loving aura anymore. She wasn't going to be there to braid her hair and try her tears and tell her about boys and boyfriends before she met Daddy, or help her dress for her high school prom. She wasn't going to meet her grandchildren or Luna's future husband whoever he was out there. She was gone forever. "She's not coming back." She murmured, holding tightly onto her father's hand. "Daddy, don't leave me too." She whispered._

_ The next day he would do just that._

_ "Daddy!" The line had gone flat. There was nothing there. No heartbeat or pulse or breathing. "Daddy, don't leave me! Don't leave me like Mommy did!" She was crying. She hadn't stopped crying since her mother had died. The pain was agonizing. Luna was suffering, and nothing could ease the pain. Now, it would intensify. "Daddy, don't leave." She sobbed, gripping his hand with both of her tiny ones. "Please, don't. I promise, I'll try so hard in school. I'll clean my room. I won't marry or have kids or even get a boyfriend!" Her father had always told her that he'd come to the door with a shotgun if she ever brought a boy home. He always sounded so sad when he talked about her getting married and having children. "You'll be my number one Daddy, I promise, just please don't go!" But it was too late. Her father was gone. Now she was all alone._

_ With the days to come, Luna was inconsolable. She just cried and cried, her tears never stopping even in her sleep. The hospital contacted her relatives. Her grandparents simply didn't have the strength or money to take care of her. She was later informed that she'd be going to Happy Camper Orphanage. She had heard about that. It was a place where kids without parents went to. It only made the reality of the loss of her parents more painful._

_ She returned home. It was going to be sold and the money would be given to Luna when she came of age. This wasn't her home anymore. She packed her things and held on tightly to the stuffed bunny her parents had given to her when she was a newborn. She had the adult brown bear that was there to escort her to the orphanage go into the attic and get her suitcases. The possessions of her parents would be put into storage. _

_ She packed her books and clothes and the few other possessions she had. The bear placed her suitcase in the trunk of his car for her and they road in silence._

_ She could only think of her parents, as most children did when in her position. She thought of no more Christmases with them or Halloween or Valentine's Day where they all went out for dinner together. This day would officially mark the end of it. She watched the trees whiz by in blurs of green and brown. She didn't know what her future held now, and she didn't want to know._

_ The orphanage was tall and Victorian-styled with blue trimmings. It was…nice. The shutters seemed to be in good condition. When she brushed up against the porch beams, she didn't get any splinters. The bear (she was too afraid to ask for his name) brought her inside and spoke to the woman at the desk._

_ She smiled sadly at the rabbit girl, and pointed in the direction of a room, taking her suitcase. She explained to Luna that she would be settled in later._

_ It was then that Luna's life would change course forever._

**Wow. That was a very sad chapter. Well, thanks for reading! I hope it didn't bum anyone out too much. I need to go update my profile now. Happy Friday everyone!**

** Until next time!**

** ~Mimi**


	11. Breaking and Entering

**Hello everyone! It's me again. I proudly present to you this next chapter. I hope to have the first chapter of "Spiceberry" up some time today. It's a Sims story, but don't worry, I won't lose focus on this story or on the saga itself. **

Their mission would involve covering the rooftops of Mesa City. They really were a thief's best friend. Of course, the first thing Bentley did was complain. "Yuck, these rooftops are filthy! Well, they are the only way to get to the key since my locator tells me it's a jewel case somewhere near Muggshot's penthouse.

Their first obstacle was a Dalmatian, and the next involved a nasty long jump and a pipe. However, both paled in comparison to what came after.

On top of the nearby rooftop stood Carmelita armed and ready with a scowl of contempt on her face. "Well, well, well. Who looks just walked into my crosshairs…Sly Cooper," She seemed to lose her cool just a bit with Luna. Carmelita hated that rabbit with great intensity. She was too close to Sly than Carmelita would've liked. "And Luna Trix."

The dislike was mutual. Even just thinking about the inspector was more than enough to stir hostility and hatred in Luna's heart. Luna wasn't sure who she despised more-the Fiendish Five or the cops. But like everyone else who got in their way, Carmelita had to go. "Bitch Fox." She said with a smirk.

In contrast to her, Sly stood composed and collected. "About time you showed up, Ms. Fox. I was getting worried about you; thought you took a wrong turn somewhere back in Paris."

There was no doubt in Luna's mind that Carmelita was beyond pissed about Paris. Their quick escapes, always been just an inch within Carmelita's grasp, never failed to get them even deeper on Carmelita's bad side. Luna was sure she would enjoy this; she would do whatever it took to cause Carmelita further stress. "Better watch it, Bitch Fox." That included calling her names. "The stress will make you break out, _Beauty Queen_." Carmelita seemed to almost growl at her.

Sly's lips curled into a smirk. It always turned him on to see Luna get so feisty.

"The only ones making wrong turns are you two. I'd suggest you surrender before I paralyze you with my good friend, the shock pistol."

"See, now a girl who's best friend is a firearm's got issues." Luna just laughed, a bit louder than nesscary to egg the inspector on.

From that point on, it was a game of jumping from rooftop to rooftop, employing the assistance of lumpy mattresses, pipes, and wood boards to avoid the bullets of electricity being fired at them. Fortunately, Carmelita's bad temper and high emotions did not assist her crappy aim. Luna stopped for a split second and shouted, "Hey, how about you fix your shitty aim first and _then_ come at us again?" Them having the advantage had given Luna a strange amount of confidence. They weren't stuck at the police station anymore; they were on their own turf, in their own element. Running from the cops in cities like Mesa was what they had done for years. And the aid from the rooftops and other factors around them were against Carmelita in all ways.

After getting away to a building's side entrance, they found peace for a moment. They took a few seconds to catch her breathe. "You seem strangely confident." Sly said, obviously amused by her attitude.

Luna only offered a smirk. "As if Bitch Fox really stands a chance."

Sly chuckled in response, and after they used the chandeliers, Carmelita had found them once again and seemed to have lost any consideration for property.

They had to run using the lifts and support beams that held up the part of the building that was under construction along with poker tables that met their end once Carmelita's shots broke through the windows. The aid of a ladder and more chandeliers seemed to throw her off for just a second before she relocated them.

Fortunately it wasn't long before Luna saw the key that Bentley had previously informed her about being in a case. She looked to her left and saw that Carmelita had landed on a balloon that was tied in the red case. She looked at Sly, and he wasted no time in smashing it. Carmelita floated away. "I'm going to hunt you down Cooper. You can't run forever."

Grabbing the key, Luna rolled her eyes. Carmelita's stupidity and blindness was so aggravating. "My God, she's an idiot."

Of course, Carmelita was too blind to notice what had been done to Mesa. There were broken windows, no people, no noise or music playing, overturned cars, and empty buildings and also destroyed buildings and gangsters patrolling the streets but Carmelita didn't care. Hell, the girl had jumped onto a giant balloon. But she was too obsessed with _Sly_ to notice her surroundings. "Stupid bitch." She muttered. "Let's just move along." She said.

Returning to Muggshot's turf, they headed for the back alleys. This required pure jumping and climbing skills, as the only way to ascend was the use of the awnings. Luna's legs surely appreciate the exercise.

The only struggle was getting across the dog statues. They had to be careful, because there was one guard after the other, and taking them all on at once didn't seem to be very wise. Jumping from statue to statue, they eventually overcame the guards. Luna realized how tired she was going to be after the day's work.

When they finally came across the key, they had to shimmy across some broken posts to get to it. Muggshot's men must've been horsing around and caused them to come crashing down.

_Luna stood with her friends, shocked at what they had done. The broken vase was shattered at their feet. She looked to Sly to Bentley and lastly to Murray. She knew they were all thinking about the trouble they were going to be in when the adults discovered the expensive vase's remains. She picked up one piece, and realized immediately that it was too thin to glue back together. No, the vase's last moments had already passed. And they were in so much trouble!_

Yes, that (and the lecture they received after) was _such_ a fond memory.

She sighed. She could laugh about that now, but it sure wasn't funny at the time! It made her think of how Muggshot would react when he saw the damage.

She smirked.

"Hey Luna, you tired?" Sly asked. "You're smiling, you must be."

She pouted. "No, I'm fine. My legs are just a bit tired, that's all. I'll be fine in a few minutes."

Sly nodded and enjoyed the look on her face. It was too adorable. "It's been an eventful day, huh?"

Luna scoffed. "Of course; any day with Bitch Fox is eventful. Stupid bitch is too obsessed with you to notice what's happened to the city."

Sly smirked. "What makes you say that?" As if he didn't already know. Back in Paris, he had seen the pictures of him on her bulletin board and the hostile treatment she had given Luna. It wasn't something he appreciated. _No one_ treated his girl like that.

"It's always about you, Sly. She always has all of her attention on you, even if it doesn't look like it."

Sly couldn't help but enjoy the envious tone to her words.

**Okay people, there's your chapter! I know chapters have been getting really short (usually just over 1,000 words) but I'm just trying to move this story along. **

** Until next time!**

** ~Mimi**


	12. Glass and Metal

**W-What? What is THIS? AN UPDATE!? WHAT!? Yes, I've gotten my spark back for the first Sly Cooper game, and I've decided it's not total crap after all. And so, I bring you this update. It's amazing, isn't it? I have a mission to complete ALL of the stories I have up, even Spiceberry and Fire (Fire is actually more liked that I thought it was going to be), and with this, I'll bump up the A New Face series, and put Wonderland and Born This Way at the bottom, since they're actually complete.**

**Of course, this is for Music Animal, since she loves this series so much. I have NOT given up/forgotten about this series and I won't until it's finished.**

**Okay, since I've expanded my technique beyond just coping walkthroughs and adding new dialogue, we're just going to…mix this up a little.**

**Chapter 12: Glass and Metal**

After a hard day's work, Luna and Sly had returned to the van for dinner and rest. Luna poked at her dinner (which was just a heated up TV dinner of spaghetti), honestly not being very hungry. Bentley was the first to start the conversation. "So, just one treasure key left, huh?"

Luna nodded. "Yeah. Better be careful though; I saw Carmelita talking with this other cop." She chuckled. "I think I'd feel bad about hitting the new one. She's a rabbit." Luna couldn't help but think about how much the new policewoman looked like her mother; the same long ears, and big, bushy tail, and even the same height. Then again, she was a rabbit. All rabbits sort of looked alike.

"A new policewoman?" Bentley asked. "That's unusual. I've never known Carmelita to work with partners."

Luna nodded, furrowing her eyebrows. "I know, I thought it was weird too."

"Carmelita's always been too proud to have partners." Sly reminded them.

"Maybe her boss made her get one, 'cause of how dangerous Mesa City is." Murray suggested.

Luna shrugged. "Maybe. Probably. No one in hell Carmelita actually asked for one."

"Maybe you should go on recon." Bentley said. Luna and Sly looked up at this. Before they could question further, he explained, "You know, follow them around and see what you can find out. If this new cop is going to be working with Carmelita, we should find out more about her."

Luna kicked the small table lightly, skidding her chair back and she swung herself out of her seat. "Let's go." She looked to her main partner. "You comin'?"

"Yep." Sly said, tossing his meal in the garbage. He followed Luna out, and they climbed up to the rooftops, looking for the two cops. Luna climbed her way onto a higher roof, scanning the area with her binocucom. She sat with her knees bent, and her paw gripping the edge of the roof. Finally, she spotted Carmelita with her partner. They seemed to be having an argument. Carmelita's face was scrunched up in her usual angry expression, and the rabbit woman was making gestures. It looked like she was trying to keep her voice down. Luna jumped down to a lower rooftop, adjusting her ear piece to hear the conversation better.

"You asked the head to come along!" Carmelita snapped. "I didn't ask you!"

"Well," The rabbit countered. "You've been letting them get away for years! Maybe I'll actually put them behind bars, because if anyone asks me, you're a bad cop!" Luna smiled, happy that someone had actually said it out loud.

"Cottontail!" Carmelita snapped again. Luna's eyes suddenly widened. Cottontail…? That had been her mother's maiden name. Wait, the woman was a rabbit. Cottontail was a very common last name for rabbits…that was what Luna told herself. Luna chewed on her bottom lip. She became twitchy and nervous and listened as closely as she could. "Your sister gave birth to one of them, in case you've forgotten!"

Luna's breath caught in her throat, and it felt like her heart, which was racing, had rammed against her ribcage too hard and the bones collapsed on her lungs.

Cottontail hissed. "You keep my sister and my niece out of this." She growled. "It doesn't matter that one of them is my niece. They're guilty of grand larceny and need to be put behind bars."

"Bentley," Luna whispered. "Did you hear that?"

"_Yeah, I heard it_."

"Sly?"

"_I did too_."

"_Sly, Luna, get back to the van, now_." Bentley ordered.

Luna didn't waste time, and didn't even make sure that her running didn't make noise. She sped back to the van and burst the doors open. "She's my aunt." She gasped. "I…I didn't even know I had an aunt."

Bentley's fingers were flying on his computer. He was hacking into the police database as Sly came in back through the doors. He and Murray stared at Luna while Bentley pulled up Cottontail's files. "Constable Cottontail: first name, Cornelia. Sister to Elizabeth Trix, maiden name Cottontail." His eyes continued to scan the words on his screen. "Yeah, she's your aunt Luna."

Luna stared at the ground, her eyes wide and her mouth open. "_What the fuck_?" She said. "I…I…my grandparents never said I had an aunt! My parents never said I had an aunt! What the fuck is-what the hell!" She started breathing hard, and she sat herself down. Her head was starting to ache from the lack of oxygen going to brain from her ranting. "I can't believe this. My aunt, my only now-living relative is a pyscho cop-and she knows I'm her niece!" Luna yelled. "She said it herself!"

"Luna," Bentley said, with an even tone. "Calm down."

Luna, knowing he was right, nodded. "I just…" She gasped again. "I can't believe no one ever told me I had an aunt. I don't think that's even in my police files."

"But we've never read your files." Bentley pointed out. "We didn't bother. You've got the same police record as the rest of us-grand larceny, and the assault of a police officer." Luna, being a master of martial arts, was considered a "deadly weapon" and she had certainly knocked cops out before, like they all had-except for Bentley, of course. With one police officer, she broke his shoulder, and eight fingers.

"Is…my file on there?" Luna asked.

"Yeah." Bentley clicked on the mouse a few types, typed in what she guessed was her name, and said, "Luna Trix. Deceased parents. Only living relative Cornelia Cottontail."

"If no one told you about Cornelia," Sly began. "There has to be a reason."

Luna nodded. "Bentley, is there anything else?"

Bentley shook his head. "Nope. Just says you're her niece."

"Maybe you should talk to her." Murray suggested.

Luna argued with, "Murray, she's a cop, and she's as bad as Carmelita. She'll arrest me on the spot."

"Not if you get her alone." Sly pointed out. "Luna, you can take a cop as long as you get Cornelia alone. If she tries to arrest you, just…you know, knock her out."

Luna debated her options. Sly was right. She could totally take a cop…unless Cornelia was in martial arts too. However, regardless, the only way to really get the truth was to speak to Cornelia herself. "Okay. I'll go find her, and talk to her."

"You want me to go with you?" Sly asked.

Luna shook her head. "No. I need to do this alone. I'll message for help if I need it." In reality, Luna just didn't want Sly flirting with Cornelia like he did with every pretty woman he laid his eyes on. "I'll be back soon." She closed the door behind her, climbing up to a rooftop, and looking for her only living relative.

She jumped from rooftop to rooftop. There was no sign of Carmelita, or of Cornelia. Perhaps they had decided to pack it in and head back to wherever they were staying. She was about to turn back when she heard footsteps below her. It was Cornelia. Luna took a deep breath, gathering up her nerves and called out, "Cornelia."

The other rabbit's head snapped up, and she growled, aiming her weapon at Luna. "Thief!" She shouted.

Luna held out her paws in front of her. "Wait, please." Cornelia narrowed her eyes. "I just wanna talk." Cornelia seemed to startled by her words. Luna jumped down, standing a few feet away from her relative. "You're my aunt." She began.

Cornelia nodded. "Yes, I am."

"I didn't know that."

Cornelia's eyes widened again and she lowered her weapon. She stared at Luna, blinking with her mouth open, and then sighed. "I'm not surprised."

They just stared at each other. Moments passed in total silence. A few more minutes passed without a word said. "Why not?" Luna asked, breaking the silence.

"Your mother…your father…and I…we…were not on the best terms." She dropped her gun. She sat herself down on a bench. "Please, sit." Luna did so. "I…your father and I…we were in love. Long ago." Luna was startled. Her father…once loved her mother's sister? She was glad she shut her ear piece so her friends couldn't hear what was going on. "It was before you were born. Before he even met your mother. We met in high school." She smiled. "I loved that man. I loved him with all my heart, with all my soul, with every fiber in my entire being." She bit her lip. She was getting too caught up in the memories. "And then…I went away to college. He went to the same one my sister went to. And…they fell in love." Luna was about to ask a question when Cornelia cut her off. "Your father never cheated on me. He ended it before he began his relationship with your mother. After that I…I never spoke to them again. I didn't even come to their wedding."

"That's why I never knew about you." Luna said.

"I didn't want to be known." Cornelia stared at her niece. She looked just like… "You look just like your mother." She said smiled. But it was a sad smile. A broken smile. "That's why I didn't come for you. Because I couldn't even bear to look at you. I want you to be mine-I want you to mine, and your father's." Cornelia noticed that Luna had her father's eyes. "And I still do. You're what I wanted more than anything else. I wanted you to be my little girl." Cornelia never married nor had children. And now that she was in her 40s, she was sure that it was too late. "And I'm sorry, Luna." Cornelia embraced her only living relative; Luna was sure that, within their hug, she could feel Cornelia's heart breaking all over again.

"It's okay." Luna said, hugging her aunt back. "I know what it feels like to have a broken heart." She stopped for a moment and broke away. "Why are you a cop? I really doubt you did it to spend time with Bitch Fox."

Cornelia, for the first time in a long time, laughed. "Oh, you are certainly your father's child." She paused, and her smile faded. She sighed again. "I did it because I thought I could put you behind bars and not think anything of it. But even before, I knew I was wrong."

Luna smiled. "Is…is that all?" Luna asked.

Cornelia nodded. "Yes. That's all. That's the whole story."

Luna sighed. "So…you're my aunt."

"Yep."

"Who used to be in love with my father."

"Yep."

"Who I've also never known about until not even an hour ago."

"Yep, that's all."

"...Wow." Luna sighed.

"I know." Cornelia agreed. "Blows your mind, doesn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Well…" Cornelia began awkwardly. "Carmelita's going to be coming by sometime soon. You'd better get out of here."

Luna nodded. "It was…weird meeting you, aunt Cornelia."

Cornelia patted her niece on the head. "Likewise." She chuckled.

**OMFG. I UPDATED! I UPDATED, AND IT'S FUCKING DRAMATIC. So yeah. I updated. I updated! I feel so PROUD! I UDATED! CHEERS! *drinks***

**See you later!**

**~Mimi**


	13. Guns and Mirrors

**I bring you another update. Yes, I know, everyone is happy I updated. A certain someone even used foul language (I'm so proud!). So, we'll finish up the Muggshot battle because I really want to finish this story as quickly as possible so I can finish volume II and put up volume III. So let's all have fun, shall we?**

**Chapter 13: Guns and Mirrors**

"Okay, we got the last treasure key." Luna said, looking at the image of Muggshot's head. She looked up at her partner. "You ready?"

Sly nodded. "Oh yeah. Let's do it."

Sly hit the lever, and the elevator was brought down to them. Sly stood next to her as the elevator took them to the top floor. "You okay?" He asked.

Luna debated this. Was she okay? The conversation with her long-lost aunt had been…not unpleasant, more unsettling because of the past Cornelia had had with Luna's father, and it had been rather awkward toward the end, but… "Yeah, I'm okay." After all, she had real family now! The elevator came to a grinding halt, and they doors opened up. Luna and Sly headed towards Muggshot, who was sitting in a high seat.

The large dog stared at them, peering closely at them with a confused look on his face before speaking. "What? My boys have been yapping about some big mysterious dude and dudette runnin' around crackin' skulls, and…" He gave a harsh laugh. "And this is it? You're the monkey wrenches in my operation? Some rabbit dame and some scrawny rat with a stick?" He stared at Sly for a moment, and then, the gears seemed to start turning in his tiny little brain. "Wait…I've seen that stick before…"

"Maybe when my father knocked your block off with it." Sly suggested.

"Your father?" Muggshot asked. "Wow." He said, flabbergasted. "You're a Cooper? You know, that Thingus-Racamogoomus has a lot of nice pictures…but WAY too many big words."

Sly asked, "So you don't mind just handing it over?"

"What, are you kidding?" Muggshot asked and proceeded how Luna and Sly had "wronged" him. "You break into my place, steal my stuff, trash the joint. I feel transgressed and violated. Let's rock!"

Luna rolled her shoulder, with a smirk on her face knowing that she was ready to kick this guy's ass. Muggshot slammed his fists onto the ground, and Luna nearly lost her balance. Lumpy crystals burst from the ground, and suddenly, Luna had an idea. She spotted the gold, oval-shaped mirrors and whispered to her friend, "Follow my lead."

She kicked the mirror, and it spun, before shining a light at the crystals. The rocks also made good cover from the bullets from Muggshot's twin guns. After the last mirror was turned, Muggshot let out a yowl of pain from the hot lights. "My beautiful gun is destroyed!" He lamented. He walked on his hands like an ape to an elevator. "Good thing I keep a spare upstairs."

Luna and Sly raced after him, and the next floor was just like the first one, except with less space to move around thanks to holes in the massive platform. Luna was careful to avoid the bullets; she had been shot before, and it was not fun.

Muggshot let out another yell of agony as the mirrors were aligned with the crystals. They followed the bulldog to the last level, only Luna had to sit this one out. There were small points, all tied together by rope, that lead to a circle of mirrors, and in the center of the mirrors was Muggshot, who was standing on a massive crystal. "Careful," Luna said, before duking to avoid being shot. The Elevator took her back down, and from down below, she saw Sly go from point to point and mirror to mirror until Muggshot yelled again, and he and his guns fell to the ground.

"This is impossible," Luna heard the bulldog say as she took the elevator back up. A little pipsqueak like you, and a dame, beating a big, strong bruiser like me? It ain't right!"

Luna scoffed. "I thought 'dame' was more of a mobster term."

Muggshot growled, "You want all of that stupid picture book? You're gonna have to go down to Haiti and cross paths with Mz. Ruby, and then believe you me-you don't wanna be you." He gave a grunt, and then passed out.

Sly cracked into Muggshot's safe, and grabbed his piece of the Thievius Raccoonus. His section contained an entry from Sly's gun-slinging ancestor "Tennessee Kid" Cooper. His specialties were the rail walk, and the rail slide. They were moves that were perfected through a lifetime of theft in the Old West.

Getting out of town proved to be a little more challenging than getting in. Carmelita and Cornelia had both shown up, and brought with them police officers. Their men took away Muggshot's goons, and (having just missed Sly and Luna) Carmelita went for the next best thing, and dragged that steroid nutcase off to jail. While Carmelita was slapping the cuffs on a dazed and confused Muggshot, Luna gave a smile and a wave to her aunt who smiled and waved back. Sly just tipped his hat and Cornelia gave a stifled laugh. That was the end of Muggshot's gambling empire, and the residents of Mesa City soon returned home.

Well, Luna and her friends…_enjoyed_ the rest of their stay in America (actually just stole a few stars), and then headed on home to Paris, excited for the next mission.

During their drive home, Luna whined, "Ugh, I hate long car trips." She threw herself against the back of her seat.

"You hate everything." Bentley said, looking at a pile of papers.

"I do not." Luna replied. "I'm a rabbit, Bentley. I need exercise." When they were all children, Luna was perhaps the most active. She enjoyed running around, and when she was done, she would read until she had the energy to sprint again.

And that was only the start. The trip to Haiti was, in short, total hell. Of course, they had to drive all the way to the coast, get in disguise (by turning themselves into different species) and get on a boat, smuggle the van out of the country (by calling in a lot of favors), and then, they finally found themselves in Haiti. Luna had never been so relieved.

They were driving into a swamp. A freaking swamp. In all of their years together, they never went to swamps, because there was nothing to get in a swamp-except maybe certain diseases from the mosquitoes. Luna overlooked from her seat in the back, staring at the image of the alligator or crocodile or whatever she was.

The third member of the Fiendish Five was the infamous voodoo priestess Mz. Ruby. Born into a family of mystics, other children found her…well…scary. She taught herself to summon the undead, and provided what few friends she had. A career in crime allowed an adult Mz. Ruby to punish the world for fearing her as a child. She's the chief mystic for the Fiendish Five, her powers allowed them to break both the laws of man and nature at the same time. Yet, despite the world-wide success of her youth, she managed to slip away from society and deep into the Haitian jungle.

Stepping out of the van with Sly, Luna groaned. "Dear God, this sucks." That was putting it mildly. The entire area was disgusting. Positively revolting. The smell, the bugs, the smell, the moss-covered ground, the smell, and oh yeah, the smell. Luna's face scrunched up like she was in pain.

This was not going to be fun.

**Yeah, sorry my updates are so slow. I've got school and everything, and I've been working on my Ratchet and Clank comic, Healing Process. You'll be able to find it on Deviantart…eventually.**

**See you (hopefully) soon!**

**~Mimi**


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